


JoJo's Bizarre War Against The Machine (A Very Mad World)

by Tenshi117



Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Genre: Also slightly alt universe, Blood and Gore, Crossover, Fighting, Hamon (JoJo), Minor to Major Violence, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Stands, Reset Universe (JoJo), Sci-Fi, Serious Injuries, Spoilers, Stands (JoJo), Swearing, Terminators, heavy spoilers, minor nudity, possibly offensive material, serious stuff, some innapropiate scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 137,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenshi117/pseuds/Tenshi117
Summary: After Emporio successfully makes it to the Wonderful World where Irene is, he finds out everything is not fine. "Made In Heaven" seems to activate again despite Pucci being dead. Emporio is transported to an alternate world where the new threat is not-so much Dio anymore, but a sentient war AI who desires the destruction of humanity, starting with the Joestars. The Joestars then face this new threat and their devilish companions throughout the years.
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome friends! Welcome to my first fan-fiction here! This was based off an early rough draft I did on Amino, I didn't like it so I am going to create a more, polished version here. Hope that's okay! The only thing I am going to add is that some elements of this AU will be combined with The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and some of the additional works of Jojo like Deadman's questions. I hope this will be a long series that everyone can enjoy, feedback of all kinds is also appreciated (however, if things do get pretty nasty I will moderate comments). Just a heads up, the prolouge will intentionally be a little vague to set up later plot points. First chapter coming soon.
> 
> (Edit: Also, you might see some weird things going on with the chapters, I am currently working on that because I am not really experienced with the website yet. I'll fix that soon.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I just want to say, that now that I think about, I am going to add some of my own AU modifications, in other words, put my own spin to it. Hope ya don't mind.  
> Edit II: I accidentally posted this twice, sorry, lol.

**Prologue**

“What’s going on?” Hermes thought to herself as she stood around the gas station. She didn’t feel dizzy, but her head felt like it was empty, spaced out or separated from the present. She looked around, she felt different, she didn’t know what she should do, until she thought about her sister.

 _“That’s right my sister!”_ She thought to herself, _“I was supposed to meet my sister in Cape Canaveral!”_

“Although, something feels off, why does it feel like I somehow just got here?” She thought. 

She heard the bus approaching, she was relieved since the next bus was not coming in two hours. She walked back towards the bus as came to a complete stop. The old bus door creaked open with a loud whine. A balding, old bus driver awaited her at the front door, she walked up the steps before the bus driver stopped her.

“Just wait a minute lady!” He shouted, slightly taking her by surprise. “If you’re looking to stop at the next bus stop, I’m going to need five dollars from ya!” He pointed to a sign with a little coin dispenser next to it. It read: “Five dollars per person, four dollars for seniors over 65, three for children under thirteen.”

“Oh, sorry.” She began to apologize as she rummaged through some change in her bag. The only thing she had was fifty-dollar bill. She gave it to him, “This is the only thing I have.” She said.

This only seem to annoy him, “Fifty dollars? Lady, do I look like a cashier? It’s either five dollars or you get off my bus!”

She snapped back at him, what right did he have to do that? “I told ya! I only have 50 dollars!”

“I don’t give a damn! I want five dollars, or you can take your little ghetto-ass bag off my bus!”

“What!? You’re going to say that to a paying customer!?!! Why the hell doesn’t this bus have any change!?!!”

Hermes then noticed a small boy in a cub’s outfit approach her. She sighed with relief, maybe he had change. She dropped her bag and approached him, “Hey kid! You’ve come at a good time! You got any change? I have 50…” The boy looked at her at awe, as if a ghost approached him instead of her. Why was he scared? Did he think she was trying to rob him? Hermes tried to reassure him.

“Right? It’s all right ya? This isn’t a fake bill, this bus doesn’t take anything too big.” The boy did not say a word. He just looked at her in surprise, did he know her, or did she know him?

Suddenly, she heard the bus engine revving up. She turned around to see her luggage being tossed to the curb.

“HEY WAIT BASTARD! He tossed my luggage! Why the hell did he start driving?” She snapped.

“Hey! The bus drove off because you were so friggin’ slow! It’s two hours until the next bus comes! What am I supposed to do now!? Are you even listening to me!?” She said. He simply ignored her, they then stared at each other for a short while. There was something oddly familiar about him, she knew it now, but she couldn’t put her finger on it just yet. 

He still seemed a bit spooked. She grabbed her luggage, reflecting on what she could have done. A thought occurred to her, “Shit! Maybe he thought I was an escapee from Green Dolphin prison or somethin’…” Unaware the boy behind her could hear her.

A man approached them from the car behind them. “Hey, my car is out of gas. If you give us gas and food money, I’ll take you to wherever you want.”

The boy continued to look at her dumfounded, she resisted the urge to slap him if he didn’t look, so… oddly familiar. She turned around and grabbed her luggage, not caring what the man said to the kid.

“Is that how you save cash? My sister said I shouldn’t ride with strangers.” She scoffed. She felt tiny drops of water being to hit her shirt, it was raining, just her luck.

“A storm’s coming soon, I guess I’m fine with testing how well you two do in the rain for the next to hours until the bus comes.” He said. She continued to walk.

“Shit, what’s with this déjà vu? Even that guy’s voice sounds familiar.” She thought.

\---

Emporio stood there, unwilling to accept the reality he is now in. “Is, is it really them?” He thought to himself. A voice caught him by surprise.

“Get in little boy,” he turned to see a familiar face. It was them… “Ah…” The only thing he could utter.

“We’re not bad people. My name is Irene, his name is Annakiss.” She said.

“Where is your mom and dad? We’re going to see my father too, ya know? He’s my fiancée.” She nods to the man. “I don’t know how it’ll go, but if my father says yes… we might get married.” Hermes turned back towards the group.

“Shit is there really a storm coming!?!! I’m not paying more than ten dollars!” She said.

“And I’m gonna have you guys stop by Cape Canaveral too!” She said. The boy hesitantly approached them.

“Come on get in!” The woman ushered him. “What’s your name? I’m not going to take your money. You’re trembling, are you cold?” She said.

She handed him her jacket, but he was hesitant until he saw the star birthmark. It was true, everything did happen, and now they are alive… but it’s not them. The rain was in a down-pour now.

“Emporio…” He muttered, tears falling down his cheeks. Was he really trembling? “Mhmm?” She said.

“My name is Emporio.” He said. “Emporio… my name…” She put her jacket on him, he could not bear to look at her, it really was her, but no, it’s not her. He got in the car and looked to the sky. After Annakiss refueled the engine, the car sped away, and yet a man approached them, another familiar face. “Hey look! A hitch-hiker!” Irene shouted.

Emporio pressed his hands to the glass, “Weather? You too?” He thought.

“I’m not picking up another one! Two is enough!” He said firmly. Hermes shouted, “You were the one who said a storm was coming! Stop the car, poor guy.” She said.

Emporio continued to look at weather until he was nothing but a dot in the distant land. He turned to the sky, what they once were, were already gone, but at least he had the satisfaction of beating Pucci, it was over now. He closed his watery eyes as put his anxiety behind him.

\---

“Damn.” Blue cursed under his breath, “I thought I could get them to pick me up because of the rain. I guess I have to go back.” He turned and began to make a trek back to the gas station. The rain strikes his cheeks with a mad passion. He heard a rumble, then a car approaching him, the window to the passenger’s began to roll down.

“Hey!” An Asian man yelled from the yellow car, “Can you give me directions to Cape Canaveral! My name’s Chen Young! I can’t really explain but I have to see my wife there and my phone and GPS stopped working, I can give you a ride if you want.” Blue stood there for a while, at first unsure of what course to take. This man could be suspicious, yet, he looked desperate, even frantic. Yet, it was odd for someone’s GPS and phone to stop functioning at the same time. Yet, a car came just in time, an odd coincidence, but he would happily take the chance regardless.

“Sure… I can do that.” He said. The man’s eyes glimmered, he assumed Blue would not take his offer, but he did.

\---

“You know kid, it’s kinda odd that you’re here alone.” Annakiss said to Emporio. Emporio looked away, he did not what to say, or even do. He just happens to ride along with people he known, or he used to know. Why did he even ride along with them? To feel better? Did he have anything better to do?

“You look sad, are you alright?” Irene said to Emporio, noticing the tears rolling down his cheeks. Emporio sat there silently, he could not even talk to her, how could he? Does she still even have a stand? Would she even understand what happened at all? No, of course not, no would understand how he felt. The Irene- no, Jolyne he knew was dead. This woman does not have to worry, her life is better.

_“That’s why I am crying right?”_ He thought to himself. Irene looked at him with slight pity, she thought something terrible must of happened to him. Emporio glanced over to Hermes sitting next to him, rhythmically tapping her leg as sign of annoyance.

Emporio looked back at the scenery, something seemed to be a little off. The sky was darker, gloomier, and more intimidating. He shrugged it off, maybe the storm has gotten a little more intense.

\---

After turning on a road, Blue gotten into a discussion with Chen after Chen repeatedly thanked him.

“So, Mr. Sky is it?” Chen asked. As the little car drove over a puddle, causing a huge splash. Blue stared off into the scenery, watching it become darker and darker.

“Yes.” Blue replied.

“What are you doing down here in South Florida? Going to Disney World?” He asked.

“No, I just need to see some people.”

“Oh so you have an important meeting? Why didn’t you just take your own car?” He asked.

“I didn’t feel like it.” Blue replied.

“Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay…” Responded Chen, “Well do you have family then Mr. Sky?”

“Blue”

“What?” Chen asked.

“Call me Blue.”

Chen paused, “Well then uh, Blue, do you have any family?” Blue shrugged. “Used too.” He said.

“Ah… well I have a wife and a three-year-old daughter, Allison, were from California. Ever been to California, Blue?” Blue shook his head, there was silence for a mere moment.

“You know there has been something I have been meaning to ask you Chen, why did your GPS and phone break down? It’s an odd coincidence, right?” Blue asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know, it just stopped working, can you even believe that? It’s even lucky that I managed to gas up my car before this happened.” Chen said.

“Do you really think coincidences happen, Chen?” Blue asked.

“What?” Chen asked in a slightly terrified manner.

“It was mere coincidence that your phone and GPS seemed to break down, right? Then by coincidence, or better yet, convenience, a man just happened to be right there? You know the dangers of picking up random strangers, right?” Chen seemed non-respondent.

“Anyway, we’re getting close, you may take a right here-“ Blue turned to Chen, who was now nothing more than a pile of ash on the front seat.

“Ah-“ Blue was at a complete loss. He had to act fast now, as the car was about to crash.

\---

Hermes tapped her foot as she silently waited for the moment she could get away from these people. There was something off about them, and she just wanted the comfort of her sister. Yet, she could not break off the déjà vu, these people seem familiar, even the kid seems familiar, and there was also something she could not shake off about this place. Yet, she can’t she seem to find the reason why. What was it about these people, did she know them? No, probably not.

“Arggh, what the hell!?!! My phone stopped working, how am I supposed to call father now?” Irene yelled in frustration. Hermes rolled her eyes.

“Maybe there’s just bad reception here.” Annakiss replied.

_“Do you really have to complain about this right now?”_ Hemes thought to herself.

“It’s not just that. I can’t even seem to turn on my phone. It just shut off!” She said.

“Maybe you should wait before turning it on again, Annakiss suggested.

“I already tried waiting, but it’s still off! Why isn’t this thing working?”

“That’s interesting.” Annakiss responded. “Hey, are you listening?” Irene asked.

“Yeah, but it seemed to get dark all of the sudden.” This seemed to get Hermes attention. The young boy jumped up at the response. He began to look around, the environment outside seemed gloomy. Hermes got a closer look at the billboard they were approaching. It looked destroyed, decayed, bent, something was off. As they drove by, more of the landscape also seem to match the look of the billboard. She then noticed it stopped raining, a sense of extreme dread fell upon Hermes.

“Wow, I need to turn on my headlights, did not think it would get that dark so quickly.” Annakiss said as his headlights came on. Hermes then looked back at the boy who was staring off into space. His face was pale, his eyes encompassed a large portion of his face. The kid looked as if he was expecting something terrible to happen. She then realized he wasn’t staring off into space but staring directly at a watch over the car radio. Not only were these people were weird, but lazy too. Why did they leave their watch there? Then, something caught her attention. Hermes rubbed her eyes, thinking this was some sort of trick. The watch was spinning fast, faster than normal. Maybe it was broken? Then why was it so dark all the sudden? It almost seemed like time was speeding up.

The boy said something under his breath, something about heaven. A flurry of thoughts started to occur in her mind. “ _Heaven, Time, Acceleration, these people. Something’s wrong._ ” She thought to herself. She then had the urge to ask the boy a question.

“Uh, hey kid, what did you say your name was again?” She asked him, he didn’t respond. He was locked in a sense of dread and hopelessness. The boy began muttering some other things.

“Uh, what’s wrong kid?” She asked him.

_“Pucci, how the hell…”_ He murmured.

“What?” She asked.

_“Pucci…”_ he simply said.

“ _Wait a minute, Pucci, Heaven, Time acceleration, Prison, Déjà vu, what does this even mean? Pucci… Heaven… whose Pucci? What’s the deal with Heaven and religion? How is Pucci related, Was, was he like a priest or something? Wait Pucci, Heaven, Pucci, Made in Heaven, time acceleration, the prison, my sister… shit…”_ Her thoughts were caught in a loop, as if a memory was right there, on the tip of her tongue, but something was keeping her from remembering. Things formed in her mind that she didn’t understand just yet. She looked at the kid again, she kept trying to remember his name, wasn’t it Emporer, Emporio? The memories then jolted back into her mind, she felt disoriented, like she was hit over the head.

“Hey, who the hell is this asshole? Get off the road! Damn it, he’s crazy, I could have hit him!” Annakiss yelled, honking his horn at them man. Unaware of what was happening to Emporio and Hermes. The man simply stood there, seemingly unfazed by the car before him. Annakiss called out to him, he turned his head.

“Hey asshole!” Annakiss honks the horn again.

“Don’t be too mean, what if he wants to help us?” Irene asked. The man turned to face them in the car. He was ragged and covered in holes but seemed extremely fit despite his condition. The headlights revealed a hole in the man’s face, revealing a cold, mechanical eye, colored red from the blood. Hermes was put off by his presence. The man then pulled out an automatic gun and began firing on the car. Irene screamed as the Annakiss swerved into a ditch knocking the man back and flipping the car over.

\---

Hermes head was throbbing, as the next moment she found herself upside down in the car with emergency bags surrounding her, engulfing in hot and uneasy cushion. Irene was crying out to Annakiss, unsure if he was alright. Luckily, Hermes had enough room to pull her seatbelt off, she grabbed Emporio. Who was still in a state of shock. She could hear footsteps approaching them.

_“Shit._ ” She thought to herself, she grabbed him. She heard glass breaking beside her. A hand grabs Hermes leg and begins to pull her out, she takes Emporio along with her. A little while after being pulled out, expecting whatever that was that shot them to return, but found Weather there instead, wait, was that even Weather? No, it couldn’t be.

“Are you alright?” Asked Weather, wait, was it Weather?

\---

Emporio was brought back to reality with a sudden stabbing sensation on the left side of hip. Hermes picked him up onto his feet.

“STAY HERE EMPORIO.” She commanded. She grabbed the window next to Irene with the assistance what seemed to be Weather. Irene was crying as they pulled her out.

“Please! Save my fiancée too!” She cried. Weather attempted to reassure her, but she still kept crying out to Annakiss. Hermes walked over to Emporio, who was shaking, terrified and confused, not sure what happened just now.

“EMPORIO!” She cried out, grabbing his shoulders. “What the hell is going on? Is Pucci still around?”

Emporio was awestruck for a moment. “Wait, Hemes, how are you able to remember me?”

“That’s not important right, what I want to know from you is what happened to Pucci? You must have done something because Jolyne seems to be entirely different, Hell, my life is entirely different, shit, this is weird, is Pucci dead?”

“Y-Yes, I was sure, I thought I killed him. He should be dead! Hnngh!” He cried out, clutching his side. Hermes saw a big gash on the side of his hip, he probably got caught by the glass on the window. 

“Aw shit, sorry man.” She said to him, tying the coat Irene gave them around his wound.

Irene managed to pull Annakiss out from the wreckage. He clutched the side of his chest in shock and pain. Hermes cursed under her breath, a stray bullet from that gun must have punctured his chest. It was a miracle that everyone else managed to survive with only a few scrapes.

“I think you could come with me.” This Weather said. “I have a car we can use. We can find a place to take shelter and find out what to do from there.”

“No…” Annakiss coughed. “We just met you, who the hell are you?”

“Odd, you allowed these two to ride as passengers.” Weather said.

“That’s different, you’re just a stranger.” He responded

“Annakiss stop!” Irene cried, “He is just like us, and you’re hurt!”

“Doesn’t matter, I would rather die before this guy lays a finger on me.”

“If you insist.” The Weather responded.

During this commotion, they did not seem to notice the machine reactivating. Emporio saw from the wind shield he was slowly starting to stand up and walk towards the group.

“Common babe, we need to go now.” Irene ushered.

“No!” Annakiss yelled.

“Um, hey?” Emporio yelled in attempt to warn the others.

They continued to bicker, ignoring Emporio.

“THAT THING IS GETTING BACK UP.” Emporio yelled, finally managing to get them to notice the current situation.

They turned to see the machine quickly approaching them. Irene clutched Annakiss tightly.

\---

Hermes had to act fast, but she had to wait for the right moment. When the thing dashed towards the group, she summoned Kiss, who then put a sticker on the things head. Two metal skulls protruded from its body. She quickly yanked the sticker, creating a large metal clanking with a small hiss from sparks. It fell back on the ground.

“We need to go now!” She called back to the group. Yet, when she turned around, she saw no-one there. She couldn’t see in-front of her, it was foggy now, what the hell was going on? She heard Emporio call out to her, she ran back towards the group to see if they were still there. She had to stop this, somehow.

\---

Emporio was anticipating for the thing to kill all of them in one go, he could have used his stand, but how will it stop something like that? It did not even look human, could he even kill it? Suddenly Hermes rushed in, Emporio did not happen to notice the fog surrounding them. He heard a metal clank, then a heavy thud, Weather, or in this case, Blue, tugged on Emporio and assured that they needed to go. Emporio screamed for her as he dragged him to the car. He could hear a loud whirring over his head, the car he tried to approach exploded. Was there something above?

He looked above to see something like a helicopter above, it was different, and more menacing. It shot something towards Weather’s car, causing it to explode. Emporio was pushed back again, he finally realized something was surrounding them. He tried to reach out towards Weather, but he seemed to have lost him too. He tried calling out to them and looking for anyone, yet there was nothing but the empty fog and his approaching doom. His hands began to shake. “Oh God, not this, not again.” He thought. He slowly backed away from the scene, only to bump into something. He screamed, but then a familiar voice came to him. “Hey, Emporio, it’s okay! We need to go!” It was Hermes.

“Where though? Something is catching up to us and we have no-where else to run! And I can’t find the others”

“I did see a place nearby, when I saw that bill-board, but you have to follow me!” Hermes said.

Emporio obliged and began to follow Hermes into the void of the fog. His mind began to think about the aircraft approaching and blowing up the car, resulting in the splintering of the group. Was that on purpose? Yet who was doing it, and why? Maybe they were trying to divide the group, and he was just falling into the same trap. He looked at the sky, it was day, but darkened by deep, grey clouds. There isn’t enough time.

“Hermes wait!” He cried out.

Hermes turned to him, “Yeah?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t go this way. Something’s wrong!” He said.

“Yeah I know! As if you couldn’t tell by the sun going 90-fucking-miles per hour!” She sarcastically replied.

There was silence for a while, until Hermes spoke again. “Okay, sorry, just a little freaked out right now.”

“No, something’s wrong! I’m sure I killed Pucci! I did it myself! I used Weather’s disk!”

She jolted her head back to him. “What? You mean that Jolyne-“

She was interrupted by metal scraping in the distance, they stopped for a second. Either the fog was clearing up, or something was getting closer, but they could see something crawling towards them. When Emporio got a better look, it was the same metal creature, but it’s face was distorted, as it was smashed together.

“WHAT THE FUCK?? THAT THING IS STILL ALIVE!?!!!” Hermes screamed.

Hermes tried to drag Emporio with her to the other direction, but hey were met by another man. He looked like Jotaro, this only confused and frightened Hermes even more. He raised a gun to her, she was frozen by fear for a split second, before snapping out of it. The Jotaro imitator fired on Hermes, who managed to block herself with a door, he noticed there was a sticker on it. He looked, ans saw there were near the car they near the car they were riding in earlier. She then felt a gunshot being hit behind her. She collapsed, and then screamed for Emporio to run away.

Emporio screamed back at her, but she only insisted. He dashed in a mad hurry, slightly tripping on rubble on an occasion. He looked over-head, noticing that time was increasing ever-so-slightly. It was only time before it became a stream of light. He clenched his fists, it was so unfair, he just entered a world where everything was supposed to be okay, and now that was being taken from him. He heard footsteps approaching him, it was getting closer. He had to find something, anything. Maybe, there was something ghost object on the road he could use. He then tipped on something, he turned around and gasped. How did it manage to sneak behind him so quickly, Emporio noticed a stray bullet graze the imposter’s face, revealing metal underneath. Time sped up even faster, revealing more metal, until a menacing mechanical face appeared before him, as if it was gazing into his very soul.

“PUCCI! THIS IS UNFAIR!” Emporio screamed. “HOW THE HELL IS MADE IN HEAVEN STILL WORKING? I KILLED YOU!” The machine reached out and grabbed him by the neck. He began to feel the air slowly leaving his body “I did it myself! I killed you! Pucci! **PUCCI!!!!** ” Emporio screamed in his last breathes.

Hermes bag flew in the breeze.


	2. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Part 1: Dio the Imposter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A terminator and a resistance member are sent back to 1888, the terminator seems to have found what it was looking for, while Amanda struggles with guilt and being displaced from her home. With the help of Robert EO Speedwagon, Will A Zeppeli, and Jonathan Joestar, they work together to stop this terminator from achieving its task, whatever that may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is the first official chapter of my AU, all criticism is appreciated!
> 
> Edit: It seems like I made some errors throughout the chapters so I will be fixing those. Sorry if I haven't said this before, so if there any other errors you can find please let me know and I'll fix them!  
> Edit: I messed up the date a bit for the time travel stuff, sorry!

**Liverpool 1888**

Past the Joestar manner, was a beautiful forest with shrubs and flowers, covered in a soft blanket of snow. It was peaceful, and quiet. However, that tranquility was quickly disturbed by loud cracking. Sparks of energy began to form around the scenery, they became more and more intense until a ball of energy lit up the landscape. Then as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving behind a crouching mechanical figure inside a circle where green grass and snow used to be. It looked around at its new environment. It noticed a mansion within the distance, it began to walk over to the mansion. It gazed upon a large wall before it, the outside gate to the mansion, it was approximately four meters tall. It prepared itself to jump over the wall, leaping over the wall with impressive agility and height, landing on the other side with only a few dents to the marble ground below.

It took in the new environment before it, trying to identify key points that it would find particularly useful. It noticed a furnace and some windows to where it could crawl inside. It walked closer to the window where it wanted to enter, carefully climbing up the wall and shifting its weight to be as covert as possible. It eventually encountered the window. It slowly, but surely, cracked the window open.

\---

Dio was disturbed from his triumphant dreams by a loud but rhythmic tapping, he awoke to see the window to his room had been forced open. Dio sighed, cautiously approaching the window, he closed it. The room to his door then locked, he turned to face the darkness. A small smirk grew upon his face.

“So, we have a thief do we not? And a clever one at that. Make no mistake though, this thief is not match with the likes of I, Dio.”

Dio, approached his nightstand at a turtle-pace, he covertly pulled his knife from the stand, hiding it behind him. Dio then yelled at the foe hiding within the darkness. “Come out thief and make your-self known, for you will regret ever crossing paths with I, Dio!”

Dio heard shifting coming from within the closet, which drew a small smirk upon Dio’s face. “There you are gremlin.” He thought. He heard something approaching him, he then used his skills to swerve himself and strike his opponent. He reached out to stab his foe, only to be caught by a cold, skeletal hand. Dio then gasped, dropping his knife. This being was not a thief, it’s face was cold, and metallic, red eyes pierced back at Dio with great intensity. Dio attempted to strike the metal demon, but it only grabbed him in break-neck speed. He tried to cry out, but the thing managed to wrap one of its icy, steel hands around his neck. It then grabbed Dio’s face, Dio felt sharp needles piercing its forehead. It then let go of Dio, who then slowly drooped to the ground. Rage flowed through Dio’s veins, how dare this creature manage to overcome the mighty Dio? He quickly reeled himself up, ready for another attack. Only to be met with a sudden sense of horror and dread, this creature now looked exactly like him. It looked at him curiously, slightly cocking his head. It went to the mirror near his drawer, looking at itself in the mirror. “Dio Brando.” Were the only words it spoke, and it sounded just like Dio.

Dio quickly grabbed the knife he dropped. “How dare you…” His doppelganger turned his head to him. “How dare you think that you can replace me. You… You will die. You will die!” Dio growled in anger. He charged at his dastardly opponent; he began to swing his knife at the opponent. It swerved, missing all hits by Dio. “How the hell can this thing dodge my attacks?” He thought. Dio swiped up near the imposter’s face. The imposter then punched Dio in the face, jabbing a thumb into his eye. However, the force was so great it went right through, crushing his right eye, and cracking his skull. Dio collapsed to the ground in pain. “What the hell? It can even copy my moves? Does that then mean it has my memories?” He thought. Dio attempted to crawl away but his doppelganger grabbed him by the neck again before he had time to create some distance. It grabbed a candle with its other free hand and put it close to Dio’s face. Now that Dio got a close look at his doppelganger. He noticed that it had to be at least a head taller than him, it also seemed to a little more muscular than Dio. Three moles then appeared on its left ear. 

“No, no, NO! I had such plans for this world! I am going to die, and that fool Jonathan would never know the difference! But I can’t die, I am D-“ His doppelganger tightened the grip around his neck, his larynx was crushed, and his neck was shattered. Dio’s body fell to the floor.

\---

**< TERMINATION SUCCESSFUL, NEW TASK ASSIGNED>**

The terminator inspected the body it just killed, it has now assumed the identity of Dio Brando, and will have to blend into its surroundings to ensure the task that it was sent out to do was complete. It took the clothes off the body, rummaging through the room finding fresh clothes for it to wear, it found some. It then wrapped up the body and stuffed it in the closet. It began to wonder about other areas of the manor, including other rooms, the main room, the dining room, and so on. Once it was sure that no one will come across it he went back. Picked up the body, and then walked downstairs. There was a close call where it saw another man quickly leave his room, it assumed that it was the target, Jonathan Joestar. He waited for a few minutes on the stairs before he returned to dwelling. After successfully going outside, it approached the furnace, and with some careful maneuvering, it placed the body in the furnace, shutting the door. The terminator watched the furnace light up for a while.

Truthfully, terminators cannot feel any emotions, including those of wonder, curiosity, or excitement. Yet, this one could not help being interested in its new surrounding it found itself in. It was far different from other missions, it was also interesting to go back and engage in a humanity that was more, primitive. After engaging in the spectacle for a short while, it left, slowly returning to the room from where it came. A servant then stopped it,

“Ah, Master Dio, what has gotten you up so late?” He asked curiously.

“I was disturbed by nightmarish dreams, and now I am trying to collect my thoughts.” It said.

“Odd, I do not remember you ever being plagued by nightmares Master Dio.” The servant responded.

“Well, I suppose there is a first for everything, Henry.” It replied.

“I suppose so.” Said the servant. “I only got up to investigates some annoyances. Take care Master Dio.”

“You too Henry.” It replied.

**< ASSESSMENT OF SPEECH PATTERN: SUCCESSFUL>**

**< ASSESSMENT OF MEMORY INTEGRATION: SUCCESFUL>**

**< ASSESSMENT OF IDENTITY INTEGRATION: SUCESSFUL>**

**< NEW TASK ASSIGNED>**

**< STUDY ENVIORMENT FOR SET PERIOD: 336:00:00:00>**

**< TERMINATE SPECIFIFED TARGET: JONATHAN JOESTAR WHEN PERIOD ENDS> **

The terminator had two weeks to study this new environment it had found itself in, it was just enough time for it to gain valuable information on assimilation and termination. It began to rummage around Dio’s belongings, reading the information left by the human before it.

**London 1888 – Ogre Street**

A foolish old drunkard danced across the barren street, it was cold, hollow, and empty, just like him. He took one last swig of his bottle before tossing it into the icy pavement. That is when he heard something odd, it was crackling, loud crackling, a large orb of light appeared before him. He gasped, knocking him down on his butt. The orb subsided, leaving nothing but a naked girl where it stood. She walked for a few feet before collapsing to the snowy ice-covered ground.

The drunken man looked at the woman again, wondering if it was the booze or a lady really appeared from an orb of light. He slowly approached her, before being stopped by a member of Ogre street. “HEY YOU!” He cried out, “Don’t ya realize what street your on?” He said. The drunken man shrieked in horror before attempting to run, he was stopped by another member. “Quite stupid for coming here aren’t ya, too much booze for the day huh?” The gang man laughed. He was large, muscular, and probably hiding a large set of weapons. He picked the drunken fool up by his collar sleeve. “Now your going to pay for coming here old man.” He said, but the old man seemed to have been looking at something else. Which means he wasn’t paying attention to him. “Oy, the bloody hell are you looking at?” He asked, he turned to see the girl laying face down in the pavement, he abruptly dropped drunkard.

“Where the hell did she come from?” The thug asked.

“I don’t know, she just appeared from a beam of light, honest.” The drunkard responded, still on the ground. 

“Oh really? And I have a million gold on me.” The thug sarcastically replied.

“No, no, I am being truthful, see, I heard a noise, and then there was this orb of light and-“

“Are you playing games with me old man?” The thug asked, grabbing him by the collar again.

“He’s telling the truth!” Another thug responded. “I heard an odd noise as well. Then there was this bright light, strangest sight to be seen.”

The muscular thug stood there in disbelief. “You mean the old drunk wasn’t pullin’ the wool over me eyes?”

“Yeah.” A few more thugs chimed in.

“Well, then we gotta get Speedwagon to see this!” He said.

\---

“SPEEDWAGON! THERE SOMETHING YOU GOTTA SEE!”

Speedwagon was rudely awakened by one of his comrades shaking him, Speedwagon didn’t know whether his friends had gone mad or they wanted to kill him. He rushed out the door with barely any clothes on him, other than a coat to keep him warm from the cold air. Whatever his mates were showing him, it better be good. He saw a large crowd gathered into one point. Speedwagon moved himself to see what was happening. He then saw the girl on the ground.

“Old drunk said a huge light appeared and then this barren girl was dropped right in the middle of Ogre street. Pretty freaky ey?”

Speedwagon appeared dumbfounded. She was very young, with short, raven black hair. She was extremely pale, almost matching the color of the snow. Despite being a frail little girl, she was thin, and heavily scarred. There was a weird tattoo on her right forearm. It was oddly neat and orderly, like something you see printed in a pamphlet, yet it looked so foreign. There were lines of different widths stretched across the front of her with numbers on the sides. She looked so pitiful, there was no way this poor child could survive in Ogre street. It awakened a gentler side to Speedwagon, something hasn’t been there in a long time.

“Say.” One thug said. “Since anything that falls in this street is basically ours, how about I get first pickin’ on her ey?” Speedwagon felt disgusted by that remark.

“I saw her first! I should get to have her!” A smaller thug whined.

“Oh yeah.” Said the muscular one, “What are ya gonna to do about it then eh?”

“No one is going to lay a finger on this girl.” Speedwagon yelled. He pushed the crowd out of the way, he warily picked up the girl, treating her like a fragile goose egg. He wrapped his coat around her. “I will take her.” He said. He picked her up and carried her to the nearest inn he could find. “I don’t know who you are, but you seem to have more scars than I will ever have in my lifetime. Who are you, and what’s your tale?” Speedwagon thought.

\---

The inn keeper looked at his nails and sighed, there hasn’t been much business lately. It’s not too little to put him in any real danger, but just enough too keep him insanely bored. He wondered if its going to be this way for a while. He looked over at the bar, and wondered, he shook his head. He could not drink today, its at least what separates him from other inns in the area. He sighed, and looked at his nails again, an old man went up to the bar. The inn keeper quickly gave him his wishes and the old man chugged down. Then, as if God listening to his very thoughts, the doors violently swings open. “Hey! Got any extra beds? And some new clothes? A bath? Oh, and a hot meal? I got a few coins on me, will it be enough to take?” A man comes in with a practically naked woman in his arms. The inn keeper looked overwhelmed then looked at how much he had, it was definitely enough for a room. Yet, he felt overwhelmed by the sudden intrusion.

“Um, I do not know if-“

“Please! She needs someone to look after her!” The man interrupted.

The inn keeper supposed he could take her, besides, he wished for more business after all.

“Uh, I suppose.” The keeper said after a long thought. “but by any chance would you be her-“

“No, oh, dear lord no! She just needs help! Would you take her?” The man interrupted again.

“Uh, yeah. Give me a minute? Will ya? NANCY!” The inn keeper called out to his daughter.

A woman rushed down from upstairs and gasped in horror from what she saw before her. The Inn keeper explained which room to put her in. She gently picked her up and carried her to the room.

“My daughter will care for her for now.” The inn keeper said.

“Thankyou-“ The man said out of breath.

“Oh, by the way. By chance, what would be your name. I at least need a name to write down-“

“Speedwagon. Robert EO. Speedwagon. As of this moment I do not know the name of the girl, but my name is Speedwagon.”

“Oh, alright.” Said the inn keeper.

\---

_“No! I won’t leave you behind, we need you!”_

_“Forget about me just go!”_

_“But we need you!”_

_“No, we just need someone to go back, you’re our only chance!”_

_“What if you’ll die?”_

_“I will happily die for the resistance than be in the hands of Skynet.”_

_“But I can’t leave you!”_

_“DAMN IT AMANDA, JUST GO!!”_

\---

Amanda gasped, she awoke in a small room, but it looked like a hotel room, and it was also quite old. She rubbed her eyes, and then looked at her clothes. They were soft, but everything had an old-fashioned flair to it. The bed looked like something from a movie about the Victorian era, the room had an odd citrus smell that she could not quite put her finger on. Yet, there must have also been a slight hint of lemon, and possibly rosemary, but she was not sure on that one.

“Oh dear, you are awake.” A voice said to her.

She turned her head to see a woman in her mid-thirties to forties near the door. She was wearing one of those old dresses, with a corset and all. It wasn’t particularly fancy, but it made her look very well-kept.

“I was worried you would remain permanently in your slumber but praise our dear father you are alright. Anyway dearie, there is a man that would like to see you, but first you need a hot meal.” Amanda stared at her blankly, as if she spoke another language. At first, she thought it was some sort of prank, but then she realized no one back home could pull off a stunt like this.

“Oh forgive me dearie, where are my manners? My name is Nancy Silver, but just call Nancy, will you? Anyway dear, I will be back in a moments time.”

“Wait!”

The woman turned around again, “Yes dearie?”

“What year is it?” Amanda asked.

“Would you like to know the date? It is the 13th of October1888 if you wish to know. Is there somewhere you need to return to?” Amanda was stunned by that sentence.

“No thank-you ma’am.” She said.

“Oh, you are a polite little one aren’t you!” The woman said with glee. “Anyway, I shall return soon. Don’t diddle off when I am gone okay?” she joked before running off. Amanda sat back in the bed. she was not sure what she should even think. At first, she did not want to believe that she managed to travel that far back.

“None of this make sense, what would Skynet possibly want so far into the past? This has to be a mistake, but Skynet wouldn’t make mistakes like that. There is no way it could have sent a terminator so far into the past without a reason. What would it want from he-“

“What the bloody hell is this Skynet?” Amanda almost jumped out of the bed. She must have said her thoughts out loud again.

“Oh, forgive me for the intrusion madam!” A man cried out to her. “Robert E.O Speedwagon at your service, well I would not really call it service, but you have me to thank for rescuing you of the pavement.” He said while tipping his hat. Is this something she has to get used to now?

“Oh. Uh, thanks?” She said. He paused for a second, as if confused by the way she spoke. He shook his head, and then began to speak.

“I came to check up and see if you were alright, there is also something knowledge I would like to get from you starting with your name now that you are awake.”

She stared at him blankly. “My name? Oh, it’s Amanda, just Amanda.”

"No maiden name?" Asked Speedwagon

"No just Amanda." She replied.

The woman returned with a tray of food. “Oh. Mr. Speedwagon, I didn’t think you would come in unannounced.”

“Oh, I apologize I-“Speedwagon said.

“There’s no need to apologize, thank-you though, really.” Amanda said.

“Well, I am just going to give this right here. Apologies if It’s not a particularly butter on bacon.” The woman said as she set the tray on the table. “Anyway, I will leave you two alone for now. I am here if you need me.” The woman walks away.

Speedwagon takes off his hat. “Look miss, Amanda? Before telling me anything I want you to promise me something. Once you have enough on you, flee from the place won’t ya? Get as far from here.” He said.

“Wait, you want me to leave?” She said.

“Not at this moment no, but once you got enough change, you need to flee if you can. This place is not for someone like you, and I would have been damned if I have left you there in that street.” Speedwagon said.

Amanda smirked, “I’m sure I can take care of myself, no problem. I have been through way worse.” She said with a slight nervous laugh.

“Really? What would that be? Please madam, don’t be foolish.” Speedwagon pleaded.

Amanda began to speak but then looked down. If she was really in the 19th century how could she even begin to describe the kind of experiences she’s had? “Forget it, it’s fine. I’ll leave.” Amanda said.

“Wait, you’re leaving? Right now?” He said. Amanda began to gulp down her meal. Speedwagon was amazed at how fast she had slurped it down. He wondered how long it has been since she had a meal. Amanda on the other hand, found her meal to be the best she’s had in a long time. 

“Didn’t you say that I should leave?”

“Oh please stay for just a while longer ma’am. Just so you can tell me what happened to you? Whatever it maybe I won’t doubt you one bit!” He pleaded again.

“Are you sure?” She asked. He nodded.

She sighed, “You see, I don’t come from this time. I was born in 2007, and I come from the future in a sense, and it’s horrible. Machines, or in the way you think of it, metal men take over the earth. This,” she lifts a sleeve to show her tattoo. “is from being thrown into a work camp. They interrogated me for knowledge that I had and refused to tell. So that’s why I have this.”

Speedwagon fell silent, slightly unsure of what to say.

“The reason why I’m here, well I wasn’t the one that was supposed to end up here, but I am here to stop one of these metal men, we call them terminators. The only reason is I don’t know why it had to be here.” She said.

Speedwagon looked pale with a shocked look on his face, he kept thinking to himself on what he should do. “Forget it.” Amanda said. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Wait!” Speedwagon said.

“Yeah?” She said.

“Look madam, I do not doubt you in the slightest, I am just worried for you. Is this why you kept saying Skynet? It’s just, kind of hard to take in, even after you magically appeared. So, it’s unlikely that I will doubt you.” Speedwagon felt that was a bit of a lie, but he couldn't let that stop him.

“How about this.” Amanda said. “I will leave once I find this terminator, but in exchange you will help me, deal?” She took out her hand.

Speedwagon almost wanted to roll his eyes, was he really going to make a deal with a young girl? If at least got her out of trouble, he was fine with it, whether she was lying or not.

“Deal.” He said.


	3. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Part 2: Dio the Imposter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The terminator manages to formulate a plan to kill its target while Amanda starts to investigate the strange occurrences of London.

**1878**

After another miserable day of collecting change to help his miserable drunken father, Dio collapsed into the chair with a sigh. He counted the money, was still far from repaying the landlord. A hand then abruptly snatched it from his hand. Dio looked up to see his father stash his money into a pocket, it was going to be used for booze of course. Dio screamed at his father, “What the hell? We need that!”

His father ignored him, continuing over to his bed to take another swig of his mind-numbing poison. “FATHER PLEASE WE NEED THAT!” Dio screamed again, trying to take the money from his pocket, only for his father to slap him in the face.

“Keep your crusty paws out of where they don’t belong boy!” He yelled at his son.

“What do you mean they don’t belong to me? That was my money!” Dio yelled back.

“You don’t need as much as I boy!” His fathered yelled in returned. How could he say that? All he ever did with that money is buy his toxic sludge.

Dio then angerly charged at his father, whom in return slapped him, knocking him down onto a table. “YOU’RE USELESS, JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER. Now sell this so I can buy more booze!” He through the only remaining dress back at Dio. This enraged Dio even more, who attempted to strike down his father, in return, his father swiftly across the head. “WHAT DID I SAY BOY?” Dio collapsed to the ground.

“You’re going to make me sell this, just as you made me give away Damien! Why do you even need it for? All you ever do is use it to buy your piss-vigors!” He cried as he remembered his younger brother. He still remembers the look on his face.

“Don’t need two little rats, besides, he was weak, just like you. Now for the last time, get the shit out of your ears buy me more booze!” His father said as he kicked Dio out of the door. Dio looked back his father, one thought ran through his mind.

_“Oh, how I despise you father, someday you’ll pay for this. You’ll pay for making me sell my brother, and you’ll pay for making me sell this. You will pay for your sins against me, you wretch.”_ Tears fell from Dios’s eyes, he brushed himself off and walked away. Dio was going to get rid of his father one day, someway, somehow. It was only a matter of time.

\---

**< 314:59:40:53>**

Although terminators could not feel the slightest emotion, there was some semblance of respect towards the human it stole the identity from. From the memories it has processed, he had poisoned his own father. When it shuffled through the different books from within the library it managed to find the letter. The human had even forgotten he placed it there. When the letter fell from the shelf it had picked it up and began to read.

_“Your Lordship, sickness had laid me right low. It’s the end of me, whatever it is. My chest hurts, my fingers are all swollen up, and I can’t breathe but for all this coughing…”_

The terminator continued to read _, “…I implore you to care for my boy Dio while I’m gone. It is the least that you could pay in return for my deed.”_ The terminator stopped and began to think. Through logical reasoning it is likely that Dio would have begun to poison the target’s father, George Joestar, as well. He had planned to poison him, stage the target’s death, and then inherit the wealth of the estate. The terminator put the letter in his pocket, it wasn’t a particularly bad plot that this Dio devised. However, this Dio was still prone to human error, the letter was an open invitation towards his own downfall, as it would have been obvious evidence. In the hands of a terminator, on the other hand. This idea could be improved upon, there were just some things that needed to be changed. For example, the mask. It was the only other thing in this manor that gave the terminator a certain semblance of curiosity.

It scanned the memory of the fight between Dio and Jonathan again.

\---

**1881**

Dio was reading his book with satisfied glee, he had managed to ruin another part of that brat’s life with no consequence to him. Now Jonathan will have nothing to his name, not even a lover to return his favors. That was until, Jonathan returned.

“DIIOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” Jonathan screamed as he charges into the front entrance of the manor.

Annoyed by the brat’s entrance, Dio shot up and yelled back, “Hush boy, you won’t speak my name in vain again if you know what’s good for you.”

Jonathan approached, “We end this now! I won’t let you sully an innocent maiden’s honor! Your fight is with me, damn it!”

Dio smirked, Jonathan was so distraught over one simple girl. “Upset about Erina? That she shared favors with me? Now you intend to give me a proper thrashing for my impudence?”

Jonathan swings at Dio again, “This time Dio! You have gone too far!”

Dio blocks Jonathan. “You maybe be right, but you’re the one who’ll pay.” He says as he diverts the block into an elbow jab on Jonathan’s face, Dio began rubbing his elbow, a great way to insult the brat in a more humiliating way.

“Looking to repeat your performance at our boxing match? Be my guest.” Dio mocked him. Jonathan walked back and fell to the wall. The brat now has not only managed to be subdued by him not once, but twice. However, Dio was not done quite yet.

“Time to end this little pissing match, I’ll beat him here! In his own home! Once and for all, he know his proper place is under my heel!” Dio thought, he relished in the fact that he was going to finish his foe not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. It was Dio who would be the master, not this pathetic young rich boy who got everything he wanted. Jonathan will realize that he doesn’t deserve the spot that Dio will have.

Jonathan then charged at him again, Dio blocked again. He then kneed Jonathan right in the face, it was perfect, that was until Jonathan, yet again foiled him. Jonathan managed to grab him,

“How are you able to grab me after such a blow to the head, perhaps I was to gentle with you!” Jonathan then head-rammed him, breaking his nose. Jonathan then repeatedly punched him, Dio can feel the rage pouring of Jonathan. Dio thought of this as impossible, it was impossible, this pampered brat shouldn’t have gotten the best of him. Jonathan had his rematch. After one lucky blow to the face, Dio collapsed, pouring blood onto the mask.

It began shaking before revealing spines, which caused to fall onto the floor. Jonathan was utterly dumbfounded. This was Dio’s change to regain the upper-hand, tears of frustration rushed down his face.

\---

This memory was odd to the terminator, or at least, what humans would consider be odd to a terminator. There was no such weapon ever used by Skynet or the resistance in its files. In fact, there even wasn’t information regarding this mask in the databases concerning human weaponry. Another thing that brought the item to its attention was how advanced it was, concerning the time and its simplicity, an item such a this should not even belong here, nonetheless in the hands of careless humans. The target had managed to gather data on this mask, it was sure of it. Perhaps the terminator could use this device to assassinate the target. Then again, there was to many unknowns to be sure. It had to get it soon, as well as assassinate the target.

One strategy that had the highest chance of succeeding was returning to the man who had dealt Dio with the poison intended to kill the target’s father. There was a more interesting weapon of choice that the terminator preferred. One mistake that the previous terminator made when attempting to kill Sarah Connor was that its mind was too narrow, one mistake Dio made was that his hubris was too wide. This terminator on the other hand, was different. It was not dependent or confident on whether it could succeed in its task, but rather, had the fluency to try other strategies.

A voice then called out to it. “Dio! Where are you? Oh, there you are, I thought you had turned into a ghost! Ha ha!” The terminator turned to Jonathan. Of course, he would be looking for it.

\---

Jonathan was unsure, but something about Dio was off. Not to mention he appeared to be a head taller than he used to be, but also seemed to be gentler in an odd way. He even parted his hair differently, now his hair is brushed back revealing more of his face, is it another way to appear kind? He could not wrap his head around it, perhaps there was something that Jonathan said that made Dio change. Has Dio finally turned his behavior around for the better? Jonathan had hoped so.

“Greetings Jonathan, what seems to be the matter?” Dio asked.

“Well, I was just wondering when you would return to you chambers, it is getting quite late, and we should be well-rested if we want to win this year’s championship, which is approaching fast. After all, it is the last game at the university.”

“Oh yes, how could I forget?” Dio laughed, "Thank-you Jonathan." Dio patted Jonathan shoulder in a compassionate way. Odd, Dio never did that before, and his hand, it felt cold.

“Yes, I shall return to my room, in a moment, there was just something on my mind.” He said as he returned to his books.

“Hold on, Dio, there is something else I would like to ask.” Jonathan said.

“What would that be Jonathan?” Dio replied.

“You are acting oddly peculiar today Dio, is there something wrong?” Jonathan asked.

“Wrong? No, why I have never felt better!” Dio replied.

“No, I did not say you were unwell. I was referring to the way you are acting right now. I’ve seen the way you talk to my father, and me today. It is quite strange, even for you.” Jonathan said. He then began to regret that comment, it felt too personal.

“Strange, how’s that? Am I acting cruel? My apologies.” Dio said. Dio has never apologized before.

“What? No. I mean, the way you are acting now, it’s odd. Is there something you wish to tell me Dio?” Jonathan asked.

“Well, I suppose. Since we have grown so much. I wish to apologize for my previous deeds as a young boy. Killing you beloved pet was abhorrent. My actions were villainous and vile, and I hope you can find the resolve within your heart to forgive me.” Jonathan seemed to be blown back by that statement, he did not expect Dio to drop his guard so suddenly. Yet, Dio appeared as though he was genuine, but there was something off about that statement.

“Well, I, Dio, I do not know what to say.” Jonathan stumbles upon words, frantically piecing the right words together within his mind.

“It is alright, it is your choice to forgive me, after all. Anyway, good night brother.” Dio walked back towards his room.

Jonathan stood with his mouth agape, first, he apologizes for his childhood deeds, then, he becomes friendly with Jonathan, finally, he walks away as if nothing had changed? There had to be two logical options to this matter, either Dio has turned around his villainous behaviors, or, Dio wanted something. Jonathan could only pray it was the former. If Jonathan had only known what had happened to Dio.

\---

When Amanda had stayed at the Inn, she made a deal to work for the Inn keeper until she had enough money to leave. Speedwagon wished not to see her until she was sure she had left. Speedwagon was going to make sure that Amanda was to leave London until she could find a better place to take care of her. He also tried his best to make sure no curious nosy bodies came close to what happened. He knew of the brothels, and orphanages but he would not dare let her be seen in either. He wanted to believe her story, but he also believes she ran off, perhaps he could reunite her with her family. After all, she did talk funny. Amanda knew of this, so she planned her own strategy. Unbeknownst to all of them, she would occasionally sneak out past dark, day in, day out, she hunted for information. She asked different questions, also assuring she was not too out of place. Yet there was nothing, but she was determined to find at least something. That determination started to wear off after a few days, but then, just when her hopes have worn thin, she found something. One night while trying to find someone, something, she ran into the one person.

She fell onto her feet, she apologized but then the voice responded, pulling her up back up to her feet. “You should be careful where you tread, because your own actions may lead to your downfall.” It was a short Asian man in a traditional Chinese outfit.

She looked at him blankly, did he know something about her? He laughed.

“I read your palm child. You are very lucky, but know this, you should heed my warning.”

“Are you some sort of fortune teller?” She asked.

“I can be, for the right price of course.” He said.

“Hmm, suppose you would not know of any strange occurrences.” She sneered sarcastically.

“I also suppose you’re not interested in a deal?” He asked in return. She rolled her eyes. “I appreciate the offer, but I would have to decline.” She said.

He then snickered, “Why do you pretend to belong child? Anyone can see that you are out not from this place.” She began to feel a little nervous, he got too close to her, too close for comfort.

“Hmph, that was a simple joke. Do not worry yourself!” This was a lie of course, she felt like he was speaking directly into her soul. That is why she decided to follow him. She thanked her reconnaissance missions and espionage training for giving her that skill.

As she gained pursuit, hiding in alleyway, snow, and trash, she found herself near a shop. He discreetly looked around before entering his shop, she slowly approached, each step was carefully planned. For a short walk across the road, it felt like she was navigating a minefield. Like, she needed to go through that already. She hid near some trash, before she saw someone approaching. He seemed extremely tall, muscular, and his movements, she was glad about her hunch.

The man looked around before walking inside. After a few quiet moments, she stepped inside. She got close to a curtain area, silently listening to the conversation from within.

\---

The ball flies into the air with a large force of energy. Players began to run after the ball, Jonathan then grabs the ball, almost as if the ball had directed itself right into Jonathan’s hands.

“INTERCEPTION! The ball is blocked out of the air by our hero, Jonathan Joestar!” The announcer calls out. The crowd roars into a loud cheer. Jonathan than sprints with the energy of tiger hunting for a prey.

“Jonathan Joestar, a gentle giant at 195 centimeters sprints for the try zone with a spirited roar! Can he win this? The last game of his university career?” Said the announcer. Jonathan is then approached by enemy players who then attempt to dogpile Jonathan without him knowing, surely this will force the ball into their hand.

“He’s tackled from behind!” Cried the excited announcer.

However, Jonathan was unfazed by these men’s feeble attempts to stop him. He stomps his foot into the ground with defiance.

“Wait! He’s still standing tall!”

Opponent players join their comrade in attacking their foe.

“It’s three on one out there!”

Jonathan growls with determination. His opponents are amazed by his strength, how could he still walk when they weigh down so heavy on him?

“Incredible! He’s still making for the try line undaunted by the men who dog his steps! What power! What determination! He’s Hercules reborn!” The announcer shouts with astonishment of Jonathan’s abilities. One more player jumps in their feeble attempt to sway him, he begins to sway from the weight.

“Oh, the weight’s too much for him!”

Jonathan finds the right angle for him to throw the ball, he sees Dio running from the corner of his eye. He throws the ball, Dio promptly catches it with amazing speed, as if he knew where Jonathan would throw and where to position himself.

“There’s the catch! The ball lands safe in the hands of Dio Brando!” Dio then dashes for the try line. The other opponents try to keep up, but he was just too fast despite his mass. He managed to run so fast to other players it almost looked unhuman. When his opponents tried to block Dio, they are only knocked down.

After passing the try line, Dio smashes the ball into the ground, almost crushing it. The crown explodes into a loud roar, cheering for their victory. 

Members of their team crowded around, congratulating for the victory of their comrade. Dio and Jonathan go in for a congratulatory handshake.

“Hell of a pass Jojo.” Dio said.

“All for naught if you hadn’t run in like you did.” Said Jonathan.

“Watching you drag those defenders, I couldn’t just let you down!”

After the Announcer described the futures of the two victors, Dio spoke. “Jojo, we should go and tell our father of this victory at once, I am sure our father will be pleased.” Jonathan nodded in agreement. Dio walked with Jonathan as they went back to the manner. Lately, Dio has always been by Jonathan’s side, another odd behavior of recent, it was most uncomfortable.

“It’s been seven years since our father welcomed Dio into our home, seven long years. I smile and treat him like a brother. Despite Dio’s swift turnaround, in my heart, I still can’t forgive him of his early villainies.” Jonathan thought.

\---

 **< 182:12:32:41>**

When humans attempted to ask the terminator questions, it only pushed them away. The target must grow depend on it, that is when it will be the easiest to strike the target down. There will be a celebration at the manor, since the target’s father was not poisoned. This party shall occur on the last day of its analyzation. A configuration that it managed to work out. Celebrations often left humans vulnerable, letting down their guard. It also makes it more difficult to pinpoint a murderer. Just what it needed to draw the target into a quiet room, use its weapon. It will then maneuver the body to look like the mask had killed the target. It will then be free dispose of the target’s father and any other humans who choose to interfere. If anything, where to happen, which of course would happen, it will use the mask. Which is why it needed to test out this strange device.

After the carriage entered the gate, it stopped. The target looked around, it could sense heightened levels of adrenaline within him, was he frightened? The father then approached with his servants. Dopamine levels overtook the adrenaline, the target then became excited. The carriage slowly entered the manor before parking. The target dashed out with excitement, it then joined him.

“My sons! Nice game it was, today!” The father yelled out in excitement. The target hugged his father, with his father hugging him in return.

“Uh? Someone told you about it?” The target asked.

“I got word straightaway from an old college chum!” The terminator, of course, knew this, someone was watching them play earlier. It would have dealt with him, but the human was harmless.

“Oh, well, will he then be able to make it to the celebration?” Jonathan asked.

“I’m afraid not my son. However, I am sure he appreciates the invitation. Though, a certain mistress will be delighted to see you.” He said.

“Mistress?” Jonathan asked, “If I may ask, who might this mistress be?”

“I suppose you will find out when the day arrives.” The father teased. Of course, he was keeping the fact a secret. Yet, the terminator could not help but ask, why? It almost felt disgusted. Why must humans participate in these pedantic rituals, this celebration, this rugby. Do they realize it will mean nothing in the end? Of course, it knew the answer, algorithms, human behavior is a set of chemicals and predictable emotions, thus, an algorithm. They participate in futile activities to feel better about themselves. It felt the slightest bit of impatience, it could not wait to dispose of these humans.

\---

**< 93:24:32:09>**

“Ah, Dio. What brings you back here? Come for more poison?” Wang Chan asked.

“No, in fact, there has been a change in plans. I desire a different weapon.” It stated firmly.

“Really, are you certain?” He asked, almost shocked. It nodded.

He laughed, “Ha, men like you never cease to surprise me. Very well, what would you desire instead?”

“A discreet weapon, perhaps it could be laced with a stronger vigor. It needs to be discreet.” It stated.

“Hmph, well there has been something I have been tinkering with, but I never intended to sell it. For you, however, I will make an exception. Would you like to see it?” It nodded. Chan disappeared off into the back, and came back with a small, dark-colored, wooden box. A dragon emblem was etched into the top of the box, he opened the box. It looked like one of the traditional inking pens. Despite their flaws, there were some traditions the terminator could admire, if it could admire something.

“Both comfortable, and discreet, it can be hidden with your pocket.” He took out the pen, twisting the tip until it revealed a sharp needle.

“Lace it with the poison of your choice, and then, your enemy shall die within a moment. No one shall notice the difference. I took inspiration from my culture. I have always loved the inherit beauty of a Hubi. Or what you may refer to as a pen. Despite my appearance, I do not particularly enjoy the hobby of calligraphy. However, I can understand and appreciate the inherit beauty of this pen. Thus, the perfect weapon. Quite suitable for a man such as yourself.” He said.

“How much for this?” It said.

“Hmm, for a man such as yourself, one-hundred pounds. Fifty, for the poison of your choice” Chan replied. It promptly gave him the exact amount.

“If I may ask. Why the sudden change in plans?” Chan Asked.

“A celebration will take place soon. I’d rather use something more discreet. Jonathan’s guard will be brought down. I’d rather it be that way.” It said.

“Ah. How clever.”

\---

Amanda slowly retracted from the store, looking both ways, at every step, never raising her foot high enough to be heard. “So, this guy wants to kill someone named Jonathan? What a creep, but a tin can would not delve into that kind of planning. However, that Dio guy was kind of strange. I’m going to keep an eye on him.” She thought to herself while walking a few blocks away from that strange man’s little shop. A hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump right of her skin. She turned to see it was Speedwagon.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here madam?” He asked. She struggled to find words. “Listen dear, me and you being spotted here is a bad omen. You should return to that Inn right now.”

“As I said before, I’m trying to find the terminator. It’s not like your helping me that much.” She said.

Speedwagon became a little nervous, “Sorry about that madam, but please, what if some hooligan managed to swipe you? What if it were that Jack the Ripper creep? Lucky that I am here and not some sort of freak. Despite the way I look, I don’t control everything in these streets” He said.

She wanted to say something but paused, she apologized and let Speedwagon usher her back. She found the clue she was looking for, and that was all she needed. She had a feeling that Dio guy would return.


	4. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) A Girl from the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the time for analysis counts down, the terminator manages to test out the mask, only to discover that it worked differently than it had anticipated. While Amanda thought terminators were her worst enemy, she gets thrown into a new world of bad.

Amanda found herself at the Skynet facility before she traveled back. It felt empty, and more lifeless than before she left, she looked around, only finding the ruins of what was there. She could hear a voice calling out to her. Someone cried out her name within the distance, it was his voice.

“Amanda! Amanda! Amanda!” She turned around looking for him. She called back out to him, his voice getting closer and closer to her. Tears streamed down her face. “Joe? Joe? Where are you?” She called out.

Then, in the far-off distance, she could see his silhouette, sunlight began to shine around the horizon. How long has it been since she has seen the sun? She ran towards him, trying not to trip over debris and rubble. “Joe! Joe! I’m coming!” She was almost there, but something wasn’t quite right. When she approached him, she realized it wasn’t him. What she saw was a terminator wearing his skin like a disguise. She felt sick, she was felt horrified. The way the light shined down made it appear as if the terminator had a smug grin on its face.

“You’re too late Amanda.” It said. She screamed, tripping over debris she fell, causing sharp metal to pierce her stomach. She gurgled, attempting to crawl away, it approached her. It got close enough to her, its metallic eyes glazing down at her, mocking her. “It’s over Amanda, we were already here before you. Our plans will be brought into fruition, the future now belongs to us.”

She was then transported back to London where she first arrived. Only for it to be a barren wasteland. She could hear screaming from within the distance, people were running. She could see someone from within the distance being dragged. It was Speedwagon, he screamed and begged the terminator for it to release him, unfortunately Speedwagon didn’t know the rule about terminators. You can plead with them. He had lost his right arm already, the metal monster aimed for his head, not hesitating to blast him, causing his head to explode. She screamed, guilt pressed against her chest, it was hard to breathe now. She cried, this was her fault, if only he was here. Tapping could be heard from the distance, it was getting louder now.

_“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here.”_

\---

Amanda jolted awake, despite the cold, she was insanely hot. She looked her clothes, she sweated so much it cause the cloth to stick to her skin, making herself feel itchy. She looked out the old rickety window, a cat was pawing at it, trying to get in. The streetlight within the distance lit his beautiful black coat, giving it a certain glow. She smiled, unhinging the window, it creaked open, allowing for the cat to come inside. It was hard to sleep due to the constant nightmares, that was when she made a new friend. She had a good habit of making friends with animals, especially cats.

“What did you get for me Rabbit?” That was what she named him. She saw that he had something in his mouth, he had carried it into the room when she opened the window. She reached out her hand only for Rabbit to give her a dead rat. He looked at her with a certain feeling of pride, as if he were a hunter showing off his trophies.

“Oh… thanks…” She felt a little disgusted, the rat was beginning to smell, dropping it on the ground. On the other hand, Rabbit purred with jovial happiness. In return, she gave him a tiny piece of meat she swiped from the kitchen. She held it out in her hand, he looked at her with his wide yellow eyes. Some may wonder why she would reward a cat for bringing her dead animals, but to her, it was signal of pride and trust. It showed that a cat trusted you, hunting was a cat’s instinct after all. So why should she punish him for what he did best? Cats were better company than terminators, after all.

“Want it?” He looked at her, as if nodding in agreement. She held it in her hand, watching his eyes dance around, his pupils narrowed. She flicked it with her thumb, he caught it. He began to eat it, he savored it as if it were a fine meal from a five-star hotel. She pets him, causing his purr to grow with intensity.

“You like that? Don’t you?” He trilled with excitement.

She talked with him for a while. It made her feel calm, and not like she felt misplaced from her own time. Not like that time was good either, ironically, things here were better than they were back in her time. She could at least eat a decent meal and not a five-year old MRE that tasted like it was tainted with dogshit. Although her clothes were itchy, they didn’t smell as bad as the clothes she would find from an abandoned strip-mall. The best part was that she could at-least take a bath occasionally. If there was one thing she missed though, was the comradery and friendship she had with members of her team. When they weren’t on missions, they would crack jokes, tell stories of their new battle-scars, and sing together. Hot tears streamed from her eyes, falling onto the dirty ground. Rabbit trilled, rubbing his head up against her knee. She smiled at the cat, rushing her hand down his soft fur.

“No time to think about that now.” She thought. She petted him once last time and opened the window, he jumped up to the windowsill. She looked at his wide rabbit-feet for the last time, chuckling at the stupid name. “Calling a cat Rabbit, because of their feet, so stupid.” She thought.

“I have big plans today Rabbit. Hopefully, I will be able to tell you all about it, let’s keep this a secret between us okay?” That cat looked at her with gaze of approval.

\---

After overhearing the conversation with Dio and that weird guy, she managed to ask around some places if they knew anything about Dio. She went about this for a couple hours, some men tried to approach her. Yet, with the small amount of combat training she managed to get around them. She ran a bit until she was sure she lost them. This night was frustrating. She tried to get into a bar, but she was immediately refused.

“Aren’t ya a bit to young to be here?” he asked.

“Please, I just desire some answers. Do you know anything of a man called Dio?” She pleaded.

“Here’s a lesson for ya, stop being a little nosy-body and asking questions that aren’t concerned with ya. Now leave before I make ya!” She sighed, and begrudgingly left the bar. That was a dead end.

“Why do you care so-much for Dio?” A man asked, standing near a streetlight. She turned to see a man in a top hat smoking a pipe. “That guy only causes trouble if ya ask me.”

She approaches him, “You know about Dio?”

“Yeah,” He said. “Grew up in the slums here, then got a free ride to live with some rich folk. Lucky bastard if you ask me. I used to be friends with the creep, I suggest ya don’t look for him. He brings misfortune to everyone he does business with.”

“Who are these people?” Amanda asked.

“Did ya even listen to what I said little lady?” That man snapped angerly. “Don’t bother with him. Just go back to whate’er you came from, won’t ya?” He walked away.

She sighed, “Well, at least I got some information on this guy.” She thought to herself. She then walked aimlessly around some blocks. She then found herself near a more populated bar. It was bright and looked a little fancier. She walked near the bar only to bump into someone, it was Dio. She pretended to be unconcerned, he apologized, but she didn’t respond, not even looking at him. Once he snuck into a lonely street, she followed him. She then found some trash near and alleyway that she could hide behind while keeping an eye on this Dio guy.

\---

**< 0:17:49:06>**

Just moments before the terminator took the mask after swiping it from the target. It began to look at the mask. There were no identifiable markings or interesting marks that it could identify. This mask was strange, why would humans make such a device? For what purpose would it have? Even with such advancements, what benefit would a human possibly have by wearing it? However, it would logically be impossible for humans of this age to create such a device. DNA analyzation technology had not been invented yet. Still, it would not be possible for blood to trigger the device. Hence, the reason it should run a test on the mask. It manipulated the its skin alloy that emulated the face of the mask, then returning to normal. Certainly, there had to be a reason for this mask’s creation.

The target was too distracted by its little party to notice he had swiped it from his room. It then told the target that it had “some errands to do in the city” before returning. After that, it continued towards the city, walking around, hoping to find a secluded area to find it was looking for. Two drunken humans approached it, drunk humans’ reflexes would be slow enough to not resist too much, these humans would have to do. 

It walked in a straight line, purposely hitting an old human. He swerved for a moment but managed to keep himself upright. “Watch yourself, or have you no respect for your elders, boy?” It turned around and looked at him, staring him down with a determined gaze.

“Watcha looking at me for, huh? Did I get shit on my face? If not, then stop staring at me like a creep, boy!” It didn’t answer, only staring him down with a determined gaze. It then took a knife from its pocket and slit his throat open. The man gurgled, clutching its throat.

The other man took out his own knife. “My God, just for that I gonna- grrh!” The man dropped his knife. The terminator then grabbed the other drunken human by the throat, his legs squirmed, kicking in every direction, he pleaded for it not to kill him. It then took out the mask, carefully placing the mask on the human’s face It used the blood of his comrade to activate the mask. Immediately, needles pierced the human’s skull, entering his brain. A strong wind then blew the terminator a few millimeters. However, the man toppled over, before landing on some boxes causing its contents to spill out all over the ground.

It cocked its head, studying the body of the victim it had just slain. Perhaps, it was some sort of torture device. It knew of human torture devices but had no record of anything like that mask. It almost turned around before seeing the body twitch, rigor mortis has now taken effect. Then, it noticed the body began to move more, not just twitch, but stand up. It scanned its vital signs again, certainly, it was dead. Yet, this was impossible. It would not be logical if the mask somehow reanimated the corpses of dead humans.

The human slowly approached it, the mask released its spines, revealing odd changes within the human, his teeth were sharper, and his eyes were a different color. It charged at the terminator and attempted to grab for its throat before it blocked the human, the human reached for it again with his other hand, but it managed to grab that one as well. The terminator was almost put back by the new-found strength of this human, but it was not enough to dissuade it.

The human kicked it, causing it fly back a few feet. It turned its skin alloy into claws that dug into the pavement. It managed to set itself upright, preparing for the human’s next attack. He charged at the terminator swiping its face, this created a sliver in its eye that revealed a small portion of the endoskeleton underneath. The alloy quickly reformed into its original position. The human looked at the terminator curiously before dropping the knife and disappearing. He then jumped up from behind, the terminator managed to catch the human and throw him onto the railing, causing the railing to bend under the weight of the human. They managed to wrestle for a few minutes before it grabbed its arm, breaking it, the using it the same arm to wrap around his neck in a chokehold.

It noticed that the sun was beginning to rise in the distance, the human broke off the terminator’s hold, throwing it onto the ground. It shot back up in record speed, the human then charged at it again, but suddenly the human started to disintegrate. As the sun rose higher, the more the human’s skin burned. It was not long before the human was a pile of ash and clothes. It looked around, confused at what had just occurred. It knew of the human folklore of what human described as vampires but had never anticipated that was based on anything factual. 

\---

Amanda began to breathe heavily, cowering behind some trash. She was not willing to believe what she just saw. She held herself, but still found herself shaking, her teeth chattering.

_“Well shit, at least my suspicions about this Dio guy being the terminator were correct. But, what the fuck was that? Was the fuck was that mask? What did it fucking do to that guy? Did I really just witness a terminator create a fucking vampire? But vampires aren’t real, are they? I want to believe that didn’t happen but I can’t lie to myself either, shit.”_

She looked back and forth through the street, she had to get out of there, and fast. Yet, she could not help but feel bad. She did not want to leave that mask there, and give Skynet unlimited power, but she had no other choice.

She dashed madly out of that alleyway in the opposite direction, running through a few streets. She managed to find a empty street, resting on the side of a wall, she took deep breaths. She turned around and was practically face to face with the terminator.

It pushed her up against a wall, it rolled up the right arm-sleeve of her work dress and said, “So, a member of the resistance did manage to follow me. I had what you humans may call a ‘hunch’ that someone was 'on my trail.'” She tried to scream but it began to choke her.

“Hmm, but something is not right, is there? Wasn’t there a different human that was supposed to deal with me? A stand user wasn’t it? What was his name? Josuke Higashikata? It is only logical then to assume he was terminated if I am correct.” It was mocking her, wasn’t it? Her fear was then replaced by rage. He was like a father to her, and he was also the reason she was alive and here right now. How dare this imitation of a human being mock him like that?

“Yet, there is something I want to be sure about. Are you working with any other members? You only need to shake your head to answer the question.” She did not answer, only mouthing the words “fuck you,” to it.

\---

Sr. Henry Park was on a scouting mission by Mr. Zeppeli to find the where-abouts of the stone mask. It managed to obtain some leads; a rich family bought the item from a shop a long time ago. What were their names? The Joestars? They also had adopted one named Dio, due to occurrence that happened between the fathers of each family. He did not know all the details, but only they had something to do with the mask. After leaving the bar, he headed back, trying to find a way back to Mr. Zeppeli, until he stumbled upon the most peculiar sight.

A man, no, a savage, had pinned a maiden to the wall, slowly squeezing the life out of her. What sort of pleasure would this sick bastard get out of slaying an innocent maiden? He then looked at what underneath the man’s, a bright stone object was underneath. This must be the mask. Would this therefore mean that this savage is supposed to be this Dio? From the way he was hiding in the shadows, had he just turned into a vampire? It would explain why he would attack an innocent woman. It would also explain why he was cowering from the sun. Yet, why would he be up so late when he knew the sun would rise?

“You heathen, listen here! Release the maiden at once and perhaps your death shall be quick!” He cried out to the man. He took a deep breath and prepared his hamon.

The man turned to him, dropping the woman. He appeared as if he was uninterested in him. “What do you want, naïve.” He responded. The woman looked at him with a strange concoction of confused delirium and relief. 

“To leave this maiden alone at once!” He charged at the vampire, taking in another deep breath to set his hamon into motion. He threw a mighty blow at the vampire, only for him to block it with his fist. This Dio must be a new vampire, he should know that touching him would mean being infused with his hamon. “You fool, you will now feel the fury of my hamon! Maiden leave this place at once! It is unsafe!”

For some reason, the hamon had no effect on the vampire, odd, he could feel the hamon flow through this Dio’s body, but nothing changed. “Hamon, is that what you call it?” The man responded, who then dug into Sir Park’s hand with his fingers, he cried out in pain. With his other hand, the man through Sir Park into the street. His mouth filled with blood, he then spat blood onto the ground below him. The woman then lunged on top of the man, using a knife to carve out his eyes. What was this lady doing? Does she realize that she could die for that? “RUN! Whatever you think this thing is its certainly NOT that!” She called out to him. Why would she refer to the man as an it? The man through onto a wall, where she slouched to the ground. Sir Park slowly managed to bring himself up to his feet.

A crowd began to gather around them, like curious animals out to find another meal. Another bad inconvenience, now more innocent lives will be slain. The man approached him slowly, but Henry was ready to charge if necessary. However, the man stopped when he noticed the gathering crowd, he then swiftly left the scene. He looked back over to the girl, who helped get back on her feet.

“Are you alright madam?” He asked.

“Yes, thank-you.” She replied.

“You should probably leave this place madam. This is too dangerous for you. That uh, vampire, could have killed you.” He said, was he really a vampire if he could remain in the sunlight?

“That thing is not a vampire.” She said.

“What?” He asked.

“It’s not a vampire.” She said sternly. She then unrolled her sleeve. Sir Park was shocked to see the tattoo. He never seen anything like that before.

“Look, I want to help you. I know what that thing is. I just need your help. Don’t say no, because without me, you’ll never beat that thing. In return, tell me what’s going on ok.” She said.

“I…” He almost wanted to say no, she was just a woman. However, if this man really is not a vampire. He needs to listen, and he had the stone mask. “I will aid you.” Said Sir Henry.

“We just need to discuss this Mr. Zeppeli first. My name is Sir. Henry Park” He said.

\---

Mr. Zeppeli rhythmically tapped his foot as he read the newspaper on the bench. Mr. Park was supposed to meet him when dawn hit, the sun is blazing now, and he was nowhere to be seen. Where the devil could he have run off to? Mr. Zeppeli then heard him, he looked but he couldn’t see him. He walked around for a little before seeing him, speaking of the devil. It also appears, he was with someone? A woman? Why? Mr. Park approached him.

“Forgive me for the wait Mr. Zeppeli, this lady wants to talk to you. She has seen the mask, and might be able to help you? What was your name again m’lady?” He asked. She looked at Zeppeli for a brief moment, with a strange, almost bewildered look on her face. She began to speak.

“My name is Amanda.” Amanda showed her tattoo. Zeppeli looked at the mask, it was strange and alien-like. What was that? Why did this lady of all things have that sort of marking on her arm, it was alien like in its design and pattern. “…And I want to help.”

Mr. Zeppeli at first did not believe it, in fact, he did not want to believe it. Why would his assistant bring this random woman to him. “Humph, look miss, I know you mean well, but I do not want to believe you. This work is for competent adults, you could get yourself killed.”

“Please Mr. Zeppeli, If I may add, she did help me escape from a devilish creature.” Mr. Park said. Zeppeli sighed.

“You, Mr. Park, why would you bring a random woman to me? What would she offer in our investigation into the stone-mask? You know this is a serious matter.” He said.

“Mr. Zeppeli, I know I am prone to error but please listen to her. She said she witnessed someone use the stone mask firsthand. She saw it for herself. She is the best lead we have!” He said.

Mr. Zeppeli looked puzzled for a moment, but then gave in. “Alright, fine child. However, I would like to make a request.” Mr. Zeppeli said.

“Yes?” She asked.

“I request you take me to someone who can prove to me your story, then I will help.” Mr. Zeppeli said firmly.

She sat next to him on the bench, “Look Mr. Zeppeli. I want to explain how I got this on my arm. You see, I come from a future where the machines you use, such as trains, become so advanced that they begin to think for themselves. So much so they can obtain their own will of sorts. In our time, we call them terminators. They almost managed to eradicate humanity, that was until I was sent back here to stop it.” Mr. Zeppeli looked at her bewildered. He almost wanted to say something, but he refused on behalf of the girls feelings.

“I saw what the mask did. I just want to know more about it.” She said. “They turn into vampires, right?”

“Yes, yes they do. Which is why it is paramount we obtain the stone mask!” Mr. Zeppeli said firmly.

“Yeah, and if that terminator obtained it, Skynet will more powerful than anyone could know.” She muttered.

“Skynet? What would that be?” Mr. Zeppeli asked.

“The leader of the machines. Wait, were you going to tell me something about the mask.” She said. Mr. Zeppeli looked down, he didn’t want to admit it was his error that resulted in the mask, not now.

“Alright, but as soon as you find someone to verify your story. As I find it quite silly.” Mr. Zeppeli.

“All right, I know someone.” She said. “I’ll show you who he is.”

\---

**< 00:03:48:32>**

The terminator walked back to the manor, slightly annoyed that it could not terminate the resistance member in time. However, she had other information it needed, and it could not terminate her just yet. If it weren’t for those people, it could have killed her. It could not let any of these humans know its identity yet. Which is why it has chosen not to terminate the Joestar with its own abilities. There were still other, smaller-yet important tasks it had to accomplish. Using its own abilities would be a dead give-away. The target then approached it with jovial glee, “Brother what took you so long!” He laughed, hugging the terminator.

“Here I thought you would go diddle off with some woman!” He chuckled, he looked at it. “Of course, I am joking, brother!”

It had been approximately four hours until it could eliminate the target. “Why brother, I am glad you decided the date of this celebration. I have never felt better!” Cried Jonathan with childish fervor.

People stood near the doorway, asking them if they could come in. “Dio, there’s actually something I would like to confess to you.” It looked at him.

“What would you like to confess Jonathan?” It asked him.

“The truth is Dio, you have changed, but for the better. You have become kinder, gentler, more caring of me. Despite your other odd behaviors, I like you better this way. I hope you won’t be offended by that brother. In fact, it is wrong of me to hold a grudge against you if you have decided to forward and honest to yourself. I forgive dear brother. I hope we can be the best of pals.” The target said as they entered the manor.

People gathered all around with little glasses of wine, butlers walked to and fro to serve the people their food. A servant walked up to Dio, “I hope you enjoy the accommodations master Dio. They have been fitted to exactly how you prescribed them.” The servant then offered it some wine, which it refused. He looked around, apparently the target had run off.

“Actually, may I ask you something?” It asked the servant. It then whispered into his air.

“There are policeman here, yes?” It asked.

“Indeed, Master Dio, they have been set up all over the building per command.” He said.

“They are vile individuals who wish to spoil this celebration. If you by happen chance to see a young girl with short raven-black hair being accompanied by anyone. Alert the policemen, immediately.” It asked.

“Why? Master Dio? Is there something wrong?” He asked.

“No, I do not wish to spoil Jonathan’s celebration. That is all.” It said, the servant then nodded and then walked away. It was imperative to find the target before the countdown had ended.


	5. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Youth In Vain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda and her newfound comrades manage to foil the terminator’s plans, but at the cost of getting themselves in a particularly nasty situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took long to post this chapter, been busy. Still, I hope to entertain with more twists ant turns to come. Again, criticism is welcome!
> 
> Edit: I'm not dead, just been busy lol, hopefully I can write the next chapter soon.

**10 Hours Earlier**

Mr. Zeppeli walked with the woman past some streets to the more dangerous part of the city. He was a little confused, perhaps she was going the wrong way? He looked around, was this stretch of land familiar? Perhaps he heard about it when chatting with one of the locals. Wasn’t this Ogre Street? Wait, if this woman were indeed leading him down this street, would that mean he was about to be ambushed? He then prepared himself.

“Look, I know this looks sketchy but trust me. He’s the only one that can corroborate my story.” She said. Mr. Zeppeli repeatedly tapped his leg with his fingers, slightly nervous about what is to come.

Immediately thugs rushed towards them, what a fool, this must have been some ploy to get themselves ambushed. “HENRY YOU FOOL!” Mr. Zeppeli tackled Mr. Park to the ground.

“This woman has tricked you! We are being ambushed, now on your guard!” He said.

“You’ll flank them tattoo-“ One thug said before pausing. He stared blankly, almost frustrated.

“Madam, what the bloody hell are you doing here?” He said.

“I’ve brought some friends, and they want to help me stop the terminator.” She said.

\---

Speedwagon felt a little frustrated and slightly embarrassed. Why did this young girl come back to this very place when he specifically told her not to? Did he not explain to her why he they cannot be seen together. He took a big risk carrying her to that inn a couple blocks down. Her obsession with this terminator would get herself killed. He then called off his mates to go back to their homes.

“What, why Speedwagon? Wait, do I recognize her.” He asked.

“I said go on now, forget about this. This a personal matter.” He then got close to him and whispered into this ear, “For the sake of your own skin, go from this place, if not then I would have to do something quite regrettable.”

His mate sighed and called the other to go back. They left together and went back to whatever they came from. He grew tired of playing this girls games, but even if she was delirious, her life was in his hands. If she were to be slain, he would pay for it.

“This is the man who found and carried me back to an Inn.” She said, introducing him.

A strange man with a white-checker-patterned hat got up form the ground, brushing his shoulder. “Greetings sir, I am Will A. Zeppeli. He gave an odd look, it riled him slightly. As almost if he _I hardly believe it, coming from this barbarian._ This girl said she has unfortunately crossed paths with the stone mask and I need your assistance.” Stone mask, did she say it was some sort of metal machine before?  
  


“Uh, the name’s Robert E.O Speedwagon, and I think we should take this important chat to a more discrete area.” He said, trying got be polite as possible. He even whipped up a fake smile that almost strained him.

“Very well,” Said the man. “Where would you like to go, good sir?” He asked.

\---

Zeppeli had calmly drank a cup of tea while everyone got comfortable with where they sat. He could tell the girl looked nervous, feeling the slight tension in the room. She hesitantly said. “Why don’t we start talking? I hope you can verify my story uh, Mr. Speedwagon?” Speedwagon sighed.

“Yes, it is true that I did save this young lady, however, I don’t see how it would make a difference.” Speedwagon said.

“How did you manage to save this lady?” He asked.

“Yes, a few mates of mine said she dropped from an orb from the sky, barren.” Speedwagon said. The look on his face said he wanted to say more, but that would cause the lady pain.

“I traveled back using a device, what you saw was a tunnel opening up.” She said.

“Hmm. So, I also assume this terminator also came back here to use the stone mask?” He asked.

“It’s true! I did see it! I swear, I also saw him make a weird deal with this Chinese man-“

“Woah, woah, apologies for interrupting. You don’t mean your referring to that apothecary dealer, aren’t ya?” Speedwagon asked.

“Yeah, he also said something about a poison, and an ink pen? I am sure he met up with the ter- I mean Dio.” She said.

This had peaked Mr. Zeppeli’s interest. “Dio? You know about Dio?”

“Well, on the contrary, I had informed her about Dio.” Said Mr. Park, raising up his bandaged hand.

“That was sensitive information Henry! You did not have to give away our lead so easily!” Mr. Zeppeli banged his hand on the table.

“Woah, woah, woah. I actually knew about Dio before you told me!” Said the girl.

“Oh, my apologies, is this a bad time?” Said the Inn keeper said as he entered the room, “Do you need more tea Mr. Zeppeli?”

“Thank-you kind sir, just leave it the table, is that alright?” Mr. Zeppeli replied, the inn keeper nodded his head, he then shut the door.

“Hmm, you know, the little lady might actually lead to something. That poison dealer is one tough customer, if we can make him confess his dealings with Dio, then we can stop him. I always had my suspicions about this man. I wish you would have just told me this sooner dear lady instead of frolicking when this poor keeper is not looking.” Said Speedwagon.

“I actually agree to his plan, Mr. Zeppeli.” Said Mr. Park, “This might be our only lead to the mask. I know it is paramount for you to retrieve it.” He said. Zeppeli then felt the guilt com back. He will not allow this stone mask to hurt another innocent being, he cannot let his father die in vain. When Mr. Zeppeli looked over to the newspaper, he was just reading he found a section regarding these Joestars, he gasped. He then slammed the paper right in the middle of the table.

The headline read, “Joestars to Throw Celebration After Sons’ Victory in The University Championship.” It only gave some information regarding the celebration, but no address. “That’s where they will be tonight!”

“If that is true, then we must find the location of this manner immediately!” Said Park.

“So that’s what my mates were chattering about in regards to a party!” Speedwagon exclaimed.

“So how we will manage to find this apothecary?” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“I know where he hangs around, and I have a feeling he’ll be able to tell us where this ‘party’ is located.” Mr. Speedwagon said.

\---

**< 00:02:30:19>**

The terminator almost had a feeling of annoyance, the target had managed to slip away without it even knowing. However, it will not let one error deny it of its long-term goal. It managed to look around the room, other humans attempted to talk to it, but they only pushed them away. It tried scanning everywhere it looked.

_“What a mess that is happening in the America isn’t there?”_

_“Oh dear, I do not understand the reason for why Mr. Clydesdale decided to-“_

_“I say dear, that dress is the most-“_

_“What do you mean she did not come father?”_

_“I’m sorry JoJo, I was assured the lady would arrive, this meeting however was quite unexpected. I did not foresee this happening. Perhaps providence has its reasons.”_

The terminator headed towards the direction of the conversation.

“What appears to be the matter Jonathan?” The target looked to the ground and sighed.

“There was a lady I had on my mind, but apparently she could not arrive today.” He said.

“Why that is very unfortunate JoJo. Say, perhaps I could alleviate you lovestruck illness by accompanying you? I have something I wish to show you” It said. The father made an odd gesture to the target, he closed one of his eyes at him. Is this what humans refer to as a wink? Of course, he was referring to the terminator giving “his brother” a “surprise gift.”

“Oh Dio that is alright-“

“Don’t hesitate Jojo! You two should enjoy the rest of the night.” Said the target’s father.

The two then headed off into the party, disappearing within the crowd.

\---

“Well, well, well, looks like there’s a little gala here after all. Seems like you were being honest.” Speedwagon said as the carriage approached the manor.

“Wait, I’m concerned. What if, Dio notices me? How should I go into-“Said Amanda.

“You, my dear, are not coming in. You are to wait here under the supervision of Speedwagon. Retrieving the stone mask is of upmost importance.” Mr. Zeppeli said as left the carriage with Sir Park as they approached the front gate guarded by two servants and several policemen.

“Do you have reservations, dear sir?” Asked one of the servants.

“William Antonio Zeppeli, and Sir Henry Park.”

“Here, let me look through-“Mr. Zeppeli then used a technique with his hamon by pretending to be slightly misfortunate and poking him on the lip. He even pretended to apologize for his blunder.

“Oh, right this way gentlemen.” Mr. Zeppeli cringed, he did not prefer to use that technique, as it was quite intrusive. It was also something that a good hamon user would do. However, Mr. Zeppeli had no other options at this particular moment. He had to find this Dio fellow.

Speedwagon looked back at the girl who glared out at the manor warily with a small sigh.

“Look, you have the best of intentions madam but-“

“This no business for a lady, yeah I get it. I told you about the guy who the terminator made a deal with, and you still don’t believe me.” She said.

“Well, to be fair-“ Speedwagon attempted to speak.

“I am done playing the weak 19th century woman. If you want to stop me fine, but I’m going to stop the terminator myself. If you think I care about dying, I don’t give a single damn.”

“Please madam! Be reasonable, I-“

“I’ll find my own way in.” She managed to slip out before he managed to catch her. For a young lady, she was quite fast. He then chased after her, but she managed to vanish after making a sharp right-corner.

Speedwagon cursed under his breath, does this lady ever listen? He shook his head, walking around the corner.

\---

Amanda began to climb up the outer wall with a rope she found in the inn. She had managed to tie around one leg under her dress, so no-one noticed. The policemen were not guarding this particular spot, so she assumed it was okay. Once on top of the manor she paused and looked at the beautiful scenery before her. She never realized how old Victorian manors look so beautiful at night. The building glowed, and radiated a warm, welcoming energy, as if to say that anyone was welcome. She could sit atop the wall for hours, admiring the simplistic yet extravagant beauty of all.

“Stay focused Amanda, we got better things to do.” She thought to herself. She then lowered herself down behind what appeared to be a furnace, trying to not get the attention of the policemen.

She looked from behind the furnace, “Well, gee, how the hell am I supposed to get in without someone noticing?” She thought. She scouted the building for any easy openings without any of the policemen seeing. There was a window on the third floor she could probably get into, but she would need more rope to accomplish that task. The rope she had was not going to cut it. However, she saw something in the distance, what could that be? She crept a little closer. A servant was tending to a horse in the far-off distance. The ropes used to saddle horses would surely be enough to scale the entrance. She carefully snuck up to the servant tending to a horse, who had been acting particularly rowdy. Yet, it looked as if the servant was able to calm it down.

Another problem had been posed. How will she get rid of the servant? She could wait for the servant to just walk away and attend to another thing. Yet, that could take time, and from her own experience. She did not have any time to waste. She could throw a rock to distract the servant, but that would only buy her too little time to snag the rope. She could try to overpower this servant, but she probably did not have the upper body strength to accomplish that. Perhaps, she could lead the servant away, of course, that would be better. Once the servant was led away, she could release the horse, and then the servant to chase after it. She would therefore have enough time to run up to the window and then slowly crawl up the wall.

She ran behind the stable and began a constant tap. For a while, she did not believe she would attract the servant’s attention, until she heard a voice.

“Hey! Who goes there? You are trespassing the Joestar property.” It was going perfectly, she slapped around the stable, and then released the horse, who galloped away at an impressive speed. She took the ropes and bolted, praying that servant would notice the horse first. She began to run at full speed towards the window, luckily, no would be there to notice. On second thought, this idea was not a good one, as she could not find something to hoist herself up. Wait, there was a carving protruding from the top of the building, that could probably hold her. She just had to be extra careful. She threw the rope as hard as she could, hoping it would catch, it didn’t. After several tries it managed to catch, her heart rate was increasing ten-fold now. She could climb the side of the building, but she had to be extremely careful, this little carving would probably not support her for very long. She would hurt a lot more than her last run-in with the terminator, as she was still a bit sore. When she does manage to go inside, she must make sure that they do not meet in the same conditions as before.

\---

**< 00:00:45:32>**

The party had almost died down, it was the opportune time to lead the target away.

“Oh, Dio this is a wonderful gift! I do not see why we had to enter my study to open this gift. However, I appreciate your kind thoughts brother.” Said the target, looking at the fancy cap before him.

“Much obliged, JoJo.” The terminator replied, closing the door.

“What did you have in mind in buying me a cap?” The target chuckled.

“Well, are pursuing a career in archeology, is that correct?” It replied, “I supposed it gets quite hot when investigating old ruins. I suppose I would gift you a nice hat that would keep you from burning up.”

“Oh, Dio. This is wonderful!” The target laughed, of course it “bought” the target a gift. Yet, this was not the surprise gift it was planning. In giving the target a gift, it has gained the trust of its future victim. Now, it must be active in small talk until it has brought the target into an empty room where it can terminate him. In its own mind, it assured the target that this was not the only gift it had planned for him.

“There is something I do have to ask of you Dio.” The target responded.

“What would that be?” It said.

“Why would you seclude me, and bring me here? Is there something you only wish to share with me?” The target asked.

“I suppose my reasoning would be to make up for lost time. Since much of our youth had been tarnished by my misfortunate deeds.” It said.

“Are you sure of that Dio?” Asked the target again, has the target become suspicious?

“Yes, I am quite sure of that, brother.” It replied again.

“Well, the only reason I would ask such a question is that, you seem to have spent a lot of time with me recently. As if I were about to meet some near unfortunate end.” So, the target has become suspicious of it. It was only a matter of time before it could use the pen.

“I have seen it in the way you have approached father and I, I could not understand your odd change before. Yet, now, it is all clear to me.” Its eyes locked with the target. It anticipated the next few words about to come from the targets mouth.

“Dio, it seems that you have changed for the better, and I honestly wish to believe that. Yet, I am reasonably concerned and suspicious to suspect that you are concocting something.”

“Oh, is that so?” It replied. 

“Yes. Or, either, you have grown a fanatical obsession towards that makes you believe I were about to perish. The last statement regarding your change, was a test. I wanted to see if you were genuine towards your new path. I also presume there is another reason you helped concoct this gathering with my father’s aid, Dio.” Replied the target. It began to act based upon Dio’s memories. It acted like it was fine, and projected features that mimicked a stress response. 

“Well, I suppose you have caught me. Well done, JoJo.” It then said. “The truth is, I have been worrying about you, you see, I began to think you no longer loved me as a brother. It gave me a revelation, I needed to become a better being, morally speaking, I wished to become more virtuous.”

“Oh, is that so? Is that why you absconded with my mother’s mask? As I am aware, I do not scour through your belongings Dio.” It was slightly impressed, how did the target managed to know of this information. It was sure it put the item back before the target had been of aware of it during the celebration.

“What are you ranting on about JoJo?” It asked.

“While, it is indeed true my mother’s mask is in the same desk it had been before, the lock had been picked open.” It was impossible for the target to have noticed it had reset the lock, clever human.

“You see, Dio. There is a little ‘gimmick’ to my lock. Once I put the key in my lock it will turn one rotation before stopping at an approximate 45-degree angle. At this time however, it managed to turn one rotation before stopping at an approximate 75-degree angle. Not only that, it managed to get stuck before I opened it. That would therefore mean that someone had broken into the desk. Do not take me for a fool Dio, what were you planning to do with that mask?” Jonathan put the mask back into the desk. It put the mask back only to pick it up for later use, it did not expect the human to have noticed that. Perhaps humans were more perceptive than it had estimated. Now it had to find a situation that the the target would find believable. Perhaps then it could retrieve it and use it after it had terminated him.

“Well, alright JoJo, please, follow me to the library. There is something I would like to discuss with you there since you desire such knowledge for my actions.” It pretended to be defeated, it wished to make the target as powerful psychologically to strike when he least expected it.

First, it needed to buy a little more time, killing him in the library would be the most efficient and suitable area to terminate him. Unless he left, there was high probability his body would not be spotted.

\---

After a long struggle up the window she managed to be right in-front of it. With the small knife she used, she began to force the window open. It swung open violently knocking her to the floor with a thud. She looked around, there was a desk with one drawer with a lock had been ajar with a candlelight on top of the desk. She laid there for a few seconds to collect herself, she felt a little overwhelmed. This must have been somebody’s study room. It was completely empty. Did rich people in this time have a different room for a bed, and a study? She could never tell with these things. After laying there for a w while, she walked out the door.

This building was like a maze, once one finds the area they want to go they realize it was a dead end. She looked around through several of the rooms, she was quite impressed with each one. One she figured was some sort of game room as there had been a pool table right in the middle. Another was some sort of dining room. It was quite large. She grew slightly envious of the lavish tables and chairs.

When looking around she realized she made a mistake as she found herself right in the middle of the police. Did they figure out someone had broken into the manor? They began to chase her around the rooms, her breath grew heavy, how could she manage to get away?

“INTRUDER!” They cried out.

“Great, literally great.” She thought. She assumed she was at-least careful. That servant attending to that horse must have alerted them to an intruder. She cursed under her breath. She probably was not quick enough to elude them, she cursed again. When she was sure that they were not looking she hid away in a bedroom.

“Stay here Sir Joestar, we will find your sons and catch this intruder.” She heard a voice say.

There was a library nearby, perhaps she could hide in there. Once she was sure the coast was clear she made it towards the library where she hid under a desk. She was impressed by the size of it, it was probably bigger than some of the libraries she went to as a child before Judgement Day.

\---

**< 00:00:05:32>**

“Forgive me brother, I wanted to help you research the origins of the mask. I wanted to ask you, but I was sure you would have said no.” It had pretended to be reasonably upset.

“Hmm, you should have told me this before you decided to take rash actions brother.” Said the target.

Suddenly the door opened. The target turned around to see no-one there. The target began to walk away, it began to follow suit. The terminator almost felt annoyed, it had managed to accomplish so much so far.

\---

When Amanda walked into the library she noticed “Dio” along with some other man. He had very dark-black hair and blue eyes. He looked sort of familiar, but she just could not place her finger on it. She assumed the terminator noticed her enter the room.

“Brother, I still wish a word with you.” Said the terminator.

“Brother?” Amanda thought. After they left the room, the man looked suspiciously around. I guess she was not a stealthy as she could have been. She remained in her hiding spot before walking back towards the hallway.

“Wait, why does it refer to him as brother? Does that mean its target is- oh shit.” Amanda thought.

\---

**< 00:00:03:10>**

“We can wait until tomorrow brother. I assume that you would make the right decision.” Said the target.

“Of course. I respect your decision brother. Yet, I believe that this is rather urgent.” It replied, slowly removing the pen from its pocket.

“I am sure we could speak of this tomorrow. I assume the celebration has been dispersed. I should return to my chambers. Oh, that’s right, father. We should probably go meet him at once.” They continue walking. It looked around, it knew something had followed them, but for now, it was not concerned.

\---

She walked along with them from a reasonable distance from behind. How could she possibly approach them without getting caught, better yet, how could she approach them without looking suspicious? She slowly pulled out her knife, better be safe than sorry.

\---

**< 00:00:01:42>**

It was only a little while longer until it could use the pen. Yet, they were getting close to the main entrance. Perhaps they could walk back to the study. It could quickly get rid of their pursuer. It knew there was a pursuer, from the sound of their steps, it was likely to be the resistance member. When the target looked around the room before leaving, he assumed it was nothing. It wanted the target to return to his chambers. It would be easier to terminate him there.

\---

The police were coming back this way, great. Now there were going to spot her for sure. She was so close, so close to the terminator she could almost reach out to it. She looked back at the terminator and snarled.

“Fucking robot.” She murmured under breath. It looked around for a second. She cursed herself in her own mind. This model must be advanced if it had that high level of sensitivity to noises. The man it was walking with put his hand on it. It looked back to him, and they continued walking. She breathed in a sigh of relief. She noticed a small object in its hand, what was that. She tried to get a closer look, but it was hard due to how small it was. Could that be a weapon? It was hard to tell, but in any case, she was not going to take any chances. She rushed towards the terminator, jumping on it.

\---

**< 00:00:00:35>**

“Stop woman!” Three officers charge towards it removing a small girl. It was her again. How did she manage to slip past even after explicit instructions? The instructions for the officers were to scout for this human, and to scout different locations to ward off intruders. It was an improbable chance she could have snuck in. Incompetent humans. Still, the officers would take care of this girl, and it could finish its task without anymore distractions.

“Look out!” Cried the girl. “He has something in his hands! He’s going to kill you!” She said before being carried away.

The target looked over to its hands, it held the pen firmly, ensuring not to spill the poison. The target managed to look at its hand and notice the pen. The target grabbed at it, causing a tiny drop to spill onto the carpet. Now, it could be clearly seen that it was not normal ink, nor was it a normal pen.

“Dio? What is this?” It had never once believed in anything, nor the ability to believe, but almost was able to believe in the power of irony.

“What are you talking about a Jojo? This is just my pen.”

“Pen? I find that it looks more similar to a needle!” Cried the target.

It had remained silent.

“Dio, were you attempting to poison me?” This made the officers freeze in their place.

“Of course, not Jojo, why that is ridiculous.” It said.

“I knew it.”

“What?”

“I knew it! Dio, this party was all but a rouse wasn’t it? You were just trying to play nice to us all along, this party was meant for us to drop our guard so that you could take the inheritance for yourself!” One officer approached the terminator.

**< 00:00:00:00>**

**< NEW PRORITY OBJECTIVE: TERMINATE JONATHAN JOESTAR>**

Of course, it did not prioritize this scenario to be the appropriate time, but since it had no other option, it had to terminate Jonathan Joestar at this very moment. Once the officer got close enough it managed to say one thing.

“Of course, you are correct about one thing, Jonathan Joestar. I have full intentions on killing you.” It then grabbed the mask it swiped from the target earlier in the study and stabbed the officer in the chest. It used the officer’s own blood to activate the mask, it then threw the officer against the other officers, which caused them to fall down the stairs. The girl ducked and scurried near the main hall. It would find this and terminate her soon.

\---

**A Few Moments Before**

Zeppeli watched as the last partygoers had been forced to leave. Many carriages had driven off into the blissful darkness. He felt a hard wave of annoyance and despair flow threw him. He had been searching for several hours but the man he was looking for was no-where to be seen. He felt as though his time was wasted and he had no business being here. It almost felt insulting, all his hard worked had amounted to nothing. Now he was more annoyed due to the fact he was forced to leave. Apparently there had been an incident, rather than causing the crowd to go in a panicked frenzy, all were advised to leave peacefully and in a dignified manner. He did not even know where the bloody hell Speedwagon had run off to.

“Are you sure I cannot have a word with either of them?” He asked the servant outside.

“My apologies, sir. Everyone has been requested to leave. I cannot allow you back in.” He said.

A argument then blew up in the distance, Zeppeli could hear Speedwagon’s voice.

“Look, can I at least put a word in with Mr. Joestar?”

“No, this is your last warning! If you continue your resistance you will be arrested.” An officer slowly pushed him to the front entrance.

“You really would do that? Huh? It’s not like I am causing trouble, please!” Speedwagon was then pushed away, finding himself right next to Zeppeli.

“I suppose a polite gentleman like yourself couldn’t get back in either, huh?” Speedwagon said as he brushed himself off.

“I suppose so, it seems like we had wasted our investigation here.” Zeppeli replied as he began to walk away.

“Well, what are you going to do now?” Speedwagon asked. Zeppeli continued to walk away. “Hey! Wait up! Why are you ignoring me?” He approached Zeppeli.

“I will continue this operation on my own. All leads this girl has provided have resulted in nothing, that is all.” He continued to walk.

“Don’t look at me like I am mad as hops, that girl diddled off by herself. I had tried to stop her, honest.” Said Speedwagon.

“She disobeyed me, and now I have nothing.” Zeppeli said.

“She disregarded me too, you are not the-” A loud crash echoed from inside the manor, which could only mean something had happened.

The remaining passersby looked back into the manor, Zeppeli pushed someone out of the way.

“What in the devil?” Someone asked

Zeppeli got close to the main entrance, something has happened, something terrible, he was sure of it. Zeppeli then rushed towards the front manner, Speedwagon followed from behind.

\---

Jonathan stood in shock and terror. How could this have happened? He looked at the officers that Dio slain in anguish, he did not have to kill them, but he did. What was the intention on using the mask? Dio looked at him with the same unfazed look he has seen for a while now. In Dio’s recent change, Jonathan often noticed that Dio would look at others with this cold glare. As if there was nothing behind those eyes, no emotion, it was dark and cold, like his mind was set on one goal and anything else would be damned.

Dio approached him, Jonathan prepared for a fight, knowing he might lose. How did Dio manage to gain this god-like power? Three loud shots echoed from behind, all landing on Dio’s face. It sounded like bullets ricocheting off metal. Jonathan winced, fearing his brother would be nothing but blood splatter. Yet when he looked back, he saw nothing, nothing but strange indents in Dio’s face where bullet wounds should be. The indents revealed slivers of metal under Dio’s skin before reforming back to what it was. As if, nothing had grazed him at all.

“D-Dio…?” Was the only word to form from Jonathan’s lips.

Dio then looked at the person behind Jonathan, it was that girl. What was wrong with her? How could she be so daring and brave when she knew her life would be lost in near moments?

“Was that meant to stop me?” Dio asked the girl, the girl growled in anger. She fired more bullets at him, Dio charged at the girl pushing her down the balcony from the stairs. Jonathan raced after her to catch the girl, the both landed with a thud. Jonathan was alright, but when they fell, he grunted a bit due to the high drop.

Dio jumped down, landing into the marble floor, leaving a large impact crater around him. Jonathan looked at the girl, she looked back at him. She looked at him with surprise rather than fear. This woman was brave, and Jonathan found that admirable. Yet, he could not risk getting anyone else hurt.

“Are you alright miss?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes, thank-you.” She replied.

Jonathan’s father then rushed in on the scene. “What in the-” He asked, he then paused. He looked at Dio in completely horror as he noticed blood stains all over him. Dio turned to him.

“Lookout!” Cried the woman.

Jonathan was at first, almost unsure what had happened, it happened at a light-speed pace. From Jonathan’s eyes, two men had entered the manor. One blond haired man threw his hat, it then somehow grazed into Dio’s arm. Jonathan’s father fell to the ground, looking on in shock. The grinding created a loud grazing noise that almost made Jonathan want to grimace.

“Haha, right into the bone!” Cried the man. Another man in a white suit rushed over and creating what almost looked like some sort of electricity from his hands. Dio looked at them with the same face. The man in the white suit appeared dumbfounded, as if something he tried doing to Dio was foiled. Dio then threw the man right out the front entrance, he then removed the hat from his arm, dropping it to the ground. A huge wound could be visible from Dio’s arm, but strangely, there was no blood.

Dio walked over to the blonde man, who was just as confused and terrified as Jonathan was. Jonathan was about to rush over and tackle Dio, but then the woman dashed over with a candelabrum and threw it directly into Dio’s face. This only managed to make Dio stumble back a little bit. The candelabrum dropped to the ground. Fire slowly began to spread throughout the manner.

“Madam! Please, don’t harm him!” Jonathan cried out.

“It.” She replied.

“What?”

“It, not he, and I can assure you, what I just did probably didn’t even damage it.” She said. It? Why would she refer to Dio as an it? Jonathan decided to act swiftly, rescuing his father.

“Jonathan, what is the meaning of this? What happened to Dio?” He asked.

“At this moment, I do not know, father. Even though I just met her, I feel as thought she is doing the right thing. Now let’s get you somewhere safe, father.” Said Jonathan, wrapping his father’s arm around his shoulder. He then carried him away from the scene.

Now, another man in a blue top-hat had entered the scene. He stood next to the white-suited man. The white-suited man turned to him in shock, as if he did not expect him to be there.

“Where on God’s green earth have you been Mr. Park?” The white-suited man asked.

“Forgive me for my late arrival Mr. Zeppeli, I returned to our carriage and realized no one else had returned yet. I had an awful feeling that something went awry so I returned. Hopefully, we can take care of this rather urgent situation.” He replied.

While everyone had been distracted, Dio had disappeared. He snuck up to the man in the blue top-hat, Jonathan watched in sheer horror at the disturbing carnage before him. Dio had ripped out the man’s heart with his bare hands before dropping it to the ground.

“Or… not…” The man simply said before collapsing to the carpet. Dio then turned to the blonde-haired man, he then shrieked at Dio before madly shooting at him. Jonathan got a glimpse at Dio’s face, or what he assumed was a face. The face of his dear brother was gone. Replaced by demonic skeletal face made from metal. It was vile, it made him want to scream in disgust. Perhaps, he should not do that now. Jonathan then considered his options before looking around. Perhaps he could run back upstairs with his father, but what good would that do?

Jonathan then heard a rustling from the upstairs. Suddenly, his father pushed him, he screamed at him to get away. For a moment, there was silence, before Jonathan screamed. The police officer that Dio used the mask on hung from the ceiling, draining the blood from his dear father. Dio had disappeared again. What has Dio spawned, could he possibly be a... vampire? Jonathan despised his newfound situation, too many unfortunate circumstances, yet not enough time to process it all.

What was going on, what was that thing? “Mother’s mask, Dio, the pen, come one JoJo, think!” He thought to himself. “What is going on, how can I stop this?”

“Get away young man!” The white-suited man yelled as he threw something at the police officer. It managed to sting him, he cried as he dropped his father, scurrying off into the manor. His father fell to the ground with a thud.

“Father!” Jonathan rushed over to his father, he appeared to be completely drained. Tears began to form in his eyes. The others managed to gather near him.

“JoJo… I ask one favor of you before I die.” His father groaned in a shaky breath.

“Yes father?” He asked.

“Please… LET ME DEVOUR YOU!” His father screeched demonically as he tackled Jonathan.

\---

Amanda became hyperaware of her surroundings. Not only does she have the terminator to deal with, but also a spree of vampires that it managed to create. All of Skynet’s creations in one form or another cannot help but lead of path of destruction and chaos wherever they go.

“Be alert men! The other vampire can be anywhere!” Zeppeli warned.

Amanda watched from a distance as the young man comforted his father. Amanda wished she could have stopped that terminator sooner. She carefully approached them, also wary of the other vampire. She watched as Zeppeli went to approach them before the father turned on them and tackled the young man. Now there are two vampires, and one terminator, great, how much better could this day possibly get?

“You are such a good man, Jonathan. How about do one thing for your poor father?” He mocked him. The man struggled but his father’s grip was too hard. Zeppeli zig-zagged before punching him in the upper chest. His chest lit up, showing a gaping hole. The father stumbled backwards before slumping on the back wall.

“Oh, God, JoJo… forgive me my son, ACK.” He cried between pained breaths. Amanda was a little surprised by that. The last one it created seemed so brutish, but despite how horrid this old man looks. He was able to talk and get into his senses. “I-I don’t know what… had possessed me… Please, take this…” He threw a ring at the young man, who caught. He glared at it in shock. “Whatever h-has happened to me, I-I know I must not continue on. It was your mother’s, take it.” Said the father.

Zeppeli approached him, “If you wish sir, I can help ease your pain. This was not your fault.”

The father looked at him with a few tears in his eyes. “Please do, I do not wish for anyone else to suffer for my actions.” He said.

It seemed to be only a short while before the old man seemed to turn back into one of those vampires. He swung and writhed around. The young man held him down.

“I’m sorry father.” The young man whispered.

Zeppeli nodded, breathing in deeply, before punching the father in the face, turning the father to ash. Even with all the calamity that happened at once, she could not help but feel pity for the father who had just died. It’s still odd to even see that hamon technique that Mr. Zeppeli was referring to. It almost felt like witchcraft to her, then again, she is the one responsible for the terminator. The young man slumped to the ground in defeat.

Speedwagon put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Apologies for all of this. Normally I would be annoyed by rich folk’s antics, but I feel as though you’re a compassionate and moral person. You and your father must have that in common. By happen chance, what is your name?” It seemed at that moment, Speedwagon attempted to comfort him.

Zeppeli glared down at Speedwagon as if he said the wrong thing. However, the young man seemed to distraught by his father’s death to care. “My name is Jonathan Joestar.” He put the ring on his finger.

“I know not the reason for Dio’s actions, but he must be stopped. My father had turned into some sort of monster because of his actions, and I am going to stop it” He said.

Amanda felt the air around her get hotter, she turned to see that fire had spread. There was still a terminator and a vampire yet to be seen. The others seem to have noticed as well as Speedwagon said, “I appreciate all the chummy stuff gentlemen, but now’s not the time.”

Jonathan looked up to the ceiling as he saw a figure crawl up and out the window.

“They are on the roof!” He called out. “They must be planning to attack from above!” He searched for something that could he climb up with, and then found a sword.

“Wait! The flames could box you in up there!” Speedwagon said.

“I have no other choice. Whatever my brother has become, I need to stop him, no matter the cost. As you can see, he has already done enough damage.” Said Jonathan.

He then used the sword to climb up. Amanda attempted to do Jonathan’s tactic but then Speedwagon stopped her.

“I think you should wait outside.” He said. “Not this again.” She thought.

“No, I am going to help.” She broke her hand away.

“You already got shaken up the last time you met that… thing. It would rather be better you just wait this one out.” He said.

“Speedwagon is right for once. He- It, has shown to be extremely dangerous. We should handle this.” Speedwagon then found an exit where she could escape out of and put her outside. Speedwagon nodded, removing her from the building. Something wasn’t right, she could feel it.

“If Jonathan Joestar was the target, he was right there in-front of it. It could have killed him easily. So, what changed? What did I not notice in the chaos? Where was Mr. Zeppeli?” She thought. Speedwagon dragged her back to the carriage they arrived in.

“I know it is attacking from above, but why? Why not kill them all directly? Wait, what happened to the servants?” She began to look around, the other remaining attendees had vanished.

“Alright, little lady, I think it would be best if you remain here. I’m going to stay right with you if you happen to slip away from me.” Speedwagon said as he put her in the carriage. Speedwagon then slumped himself outside as he looked back into the manor. The fire was getting intense now, it almost made her sad. It was so looking, she never got to see buildings like this after Judgement day. She cursed Skynet under her breath repeatedly, cursing it for ruining any life she had previously and her newfound life she enjoyed. At times she asked herself why Skynet had to ruin any joy she tried to have, but she always came back to the same answer. The same begrudged answer shared from other starving, sleep-deprived fighters. Biological life has always been a threat to Skynet, whether it feared for its own life or just thought humans should disappear, it was the thing that had turned her life into a living hell. The only reason she was still alive because _one human_ in particular said, “Fuck you Skynet I think I want to live.” She never met _him_ , some think of him as a mysterious God-like hero-figure that championed the rights of the people. She wished she could do the same right now, perhaps, maybe this situation would not be so bad. Or perhaps, everything was her fault, perhaps if she had never interfered with the past, none of this would happen.

She began to cry, she felt like it was all her fault. She could never do anything right, maybe it was best for the professionals to care of it. Jonathan looked like _him_ , and seemed to really care for others, and he had the strength to do it. He could probably fix everything better than she could possibly think of doing. She looked back, only to find that Speedwagon had vanished.

“Should I get out?” She thought. She slowly opened the carriage door, the more she opened it, the more she could see something. The fire illuminated what seemed to be a dark trail, blood. She stepped back out and looked down at it, her foot created a splash. A shiver went up her spine, Speedwagon was gone. All that was left was a trail of blood.

“Ooooh your such a pretty girl.” A voice spoke from behind her. She was hesitant to turn around.

“Perhaps, I could get a taste?” The voice said right next to her ear. She screamed.

\---

Jonathan made his slow pursuit towards Dio up to the top of the roof. He knew not what happened to Dio, but he could tell that he had changed, somehow. Was that girl true? Was the Dio he knew a stranger, that had enticed him and coerced to gain his trust as a brother? He shuddered at the thought, it almost made him fall back to the ground. The silence and the accompanying roar of the fire made it less comfortable. He noticed impact along the wall up to the roof, was that Dio? It must have been. He did not want to believe his brother did the things he did, it almost made him want to cry. He did not have to kill his father, but he did, he did not have to slaughter innocent man, but he did, his father did not deserve to be an indirect casualty, but he was.

At least the only comfort he could find was the scheme he managed to plan from this, Mr. Zeppeli. Even though he looked like a stranger, he knew he could trust him. Hopefully, this Mr. Zeppeli could bring back order to the chaos that Dio has brought into his life.

“Jonathan Joestar, is it?” Mr. Zeppeli asked him.

“Yes, I am Jonathan Joestar, but just call me JoJo for now.” He said.

“Well, JoJo, it appears our foes are planning to descend upon us from above. Yet, have courage JoJo, do not dwell into despair.” He said.

“How can you say that? The home of my youth is burning, how can you have the time to make sense of the chaos that has descended around you?” Jonathan asked.

“Since we are on borrowed time, I shall say this. Courage should be taking your own fear and making it your own.” He said, as he climbed towards a window.

“Now JoJo, I want you to climb with me to the top. Together we can fight them from up there, then walk to the North. Do you trust me?” He asked.

“Yes.” Said Jonathan. That was all he said for Jonathan to follow him up to the roof.

He had now reached the roof, the entire manor was ablaze, crumbling, it would be time before it burnt to the ground. He could hear Mr. Zeppeli calling out to him now. He reeled into his boxing skills, prepared to fight Dio, no matter how strong he might be. He approached the torth as he asked if he was there, his voice had come closer, but something was wrong, it felt like it was from behind. Jonathan slowly turned his head, only to be grabbed by the throat.

He now was face to face against, Dio, or what was supposed to represent Dio. He somehow looked more of a devil than before. Metal poked through his oozing skin. As if, he was mocking Jonathan, or did not care he was human.

**“G r e e t I n g s J o n a t h a n, I a m s o t h r i l l e d t o s e e y o u.”** Spoke a distorted voice.

He, no, this thing, whatever it was, this was not his brother. It was never his brother, it only pretended to be him so that it could kill him. Jonathan felt unnerved, what happened to his brother then? What did it do to him? Such irony, he had wished such tragedy on his brother in his youth only to have that wish would come true in the form of a steel demon. Yet, despite Dio’s cruelty, he did not deserve the fate of whatever this creature had made for him.

“What have you done with Dio?” Was all that he could croak from the cold, hard grip of this demon. It dragged him to the edge of the roof. His legs kicked and dangled off the edge. Jonathan could only look in distraught terror. He could see the small-red form of someone, it was Speedwagon. He had been bleeding out for a while. It looked as though he had fought something, whether he was a victor, or a loser of his battle was not clear, but was clear was his impending death.

It only looked at him, gazing into his very soul. He felt dread fill his entire body. There was no way he could beat this demon. He was done for, but in his fleeting moments, he had remembered Mr. Zeppeli’s words.

He grabbed the arms of the demon and attempted to kick it right in the chest. It only looked at him curiously, if it still had a face it would probably laugh at his feeble attempts. He then reeled in for a ferocious shove to the chest with both of his feet. It had not anticipated him to do that, it tumbled backwards. When Jonathan attempted to crawl away it grabbed him by his scalp and dragged him back near the edge.

“Well, at least it was worth a try, father.” He thought to himself, accepting his impending death. He closed his eyed, he felt the cold hands draw near his chest.

Loud gunshots rang in the distance. It turned around to see it was that same girl. “Come and get me you son of a bitch.” She said to it. Jonathan gasped. Despite her foul language, she was brave, insanely brave for a young woman. He could have died right there and then, had it not been for her. It charged at her, snatching the gun away from her and throwing it off the roof. It hit her was such a violent force she was blown back by three meters. Her face was bloody and bruised, how dare such a viol demon attempt to carve at such a face? Jonathan then jumped on the demon.

\---

**A few moments earlier**

Speedwagon had felt it in his heart, this Jonathan Joestar fellow was a fool for doing what he did. Even more foolish than the silly girl he watches over, yet, he cannot help but sympathize with him. The poor fellow has lost everything he had, and if Speedwagon was in his shoes he probably would be in the same mindset. He just prayed he could kill this thing. Speaking of, he began to feel bad about the girl. When he stared it directly in the face, he had never seen something so inherently terrifying. How could she live with those pariahs hunting her daily? She was right, and he doubted her. Like he had doubted that those vampires existed when Mr. Zeppeli first spoke about them to him, even the mask. This thing is to Amanda what the mask is to Mr. Zeppeil. This thing she has been hunting down was the only thing left she really had to prove herself. He had turned back to the carriage, walked up to apologize but then heard a scuttle behind him. He looked around. He had heard a small thump behind him. As soon as he reached that area, a hand grabbed him and pulled him up into the tree above.

A now lovely vampire has come to greet him. He yelled, and then grabbed his blade hat and wacked it right in the face, only blinding it for a few seconds. It dropped him back down below, he then looked at his arm, he had a small gash. Somehow, it didn’t look like it was there for a short time, he must have got sometime after the altercation in the manner. His blood is what attracted that vampire, he had been bleeding out and he did not even know it. He became too narrow-focused about the larger issue to realize what was happening around him. That vampire looked like one of the servants that had been outside the front-gate. He looked at his gash again, it did not look like something caused by debris, it was deliberate, how did he not notice it?

“Wait a minute, that metal thing. Did she say it was a machine, and that it was smarter than a human? Oh no, that Jonathan fellow! That thing set us all in for a trap. It meant for Jonathan to follow him up there so that it could dispose of him and Mr. Zeppeli. It meant for the vampires to finish the rest of us off! Of course! Why go after something that does not have blood when you have a crowd of humans surrounding you! That clever bastard!” Speedwagon thought.

He then heard screams from the outside of the carriage, a vampire had pinned the girl down. Without even thinking, he threw his hat again into the vampire. It was not enough to kill it of course, but at least it was enough to let the girl get away.

“The terminator planned all of this! It used us to block of its target and it tricked me into using the fire so it could dispose of any evidence. All anyone is going to think is that an unfortunate fire had occurred after the party!” She said.

“So I see you came to the same conclusion as my own.” Replied Speedwagon.

“Yeah, but how are we going to get rid of these vampires?”

“I-I don’t know I-I suppose I could lure them away.”

“Or I could.” She said.

“What? Out of all things you have done, you have now crossed the line! Think about your own safety madam!” He pleaded.

“Well you see that’s what I have been doing for my whole life. Running into things that almost got me killed. Yet, I’m still here. So, I’ve decided I’m going to fight back.” She stood up and walk back towards the mansion.

“Hey bloodsuckers! Come and get me!” She called out.

Speedwagon could only stand with his mouth agape.

”Was she planning on luring them towards the fire?” He said quietly. A vampire jumped onto the carriage and looked at the girl.

“Strange, isn’t it? This puny human asked you to stay, and yet you’re going to run away? Well, if you insist.” She ran towards the fire as it began to chase after her, another pursued it.

“Oh god, she really is going for it!” He cried out.

Speedwagon wanted to stop them, but he knew if he even so much as dared, he would die too. A plan began to form in Speedwagon’s head. “I’m going to take a note out of this mad woman’s book and try something myself.” He thought. He looked back at the gaping wound in his arm and began to rub it all over himself.

\---

Mr. Zeppeli had reached the roof with ease. It will only be a matter of moments before he would meet up with Jonathan. There, he would be able to show him the first trick to hamon, however it would require more for him to actually use it. Although he could not kill the thing that had summoned these vampires, he did have a reason for using the roof as a battleground. What had approached Mr. Zeppeli however, was not JoJo, but a vampire. It jumped onto him causing him to almost fall off the roof, he teetered on the edge. Two zombies had joined its companion with pinning him down.

Where did these vampires come from? He knew that the machine used the mask to create a vampire, and that vampire had spawned zombies. He looked up at the vampire before him, it was the same police officer from before. It then dawned on him that the vampire had escaped, there were a few remaining attendees. The vampire must have converted them all into zombies. Yet, that could not explain how his hamon was unable to affect the vampire. He looked down at his hands, they looked like they were covered in a strange metal substance. He could feel a strange cold sensation in his arms despite the warmth.

What is with this vampire? He was only a vampire for a short while but had managed to make a defense for himself. Wait, something is awry.

The vampire laughed. “That metal man kept his word! Now we can get a meal for ourselves!” It seemed there was one thing the vampire had missed.

“Sorry chum, but the metal man promised us we can have you if we stay away from the Joestar. You and your other pals are going to be nothing but bones too.”

Mr. Zeppeli smirked, “Hmm, Is that so?” Suddenly, a shingle from the roof exploded, charging directly into the vampire’s face. He screamed as his face began to slowly burn off. Zeppeli then went In for a hamon extended punch that had evaporated him. The two zombies then attempted to tackle him at once, but he dodged, causing both to crash into each other. He then imbued the ground with hamon again, which burnt them. One swung at Zeppeli, but he had managed to dodge, he then tripped this zombie before punching him in the face. One zombie had been eradicated, now for the other. The other charged at him again, he took a defensive position, he took another deep breath before the zombie went in for a punch. The zombie then evaporated into dust that blended in with the raging fire. Mr. Zeppeli had taken note that these shingles on the roof has some steel components, some metals, like iron, were a good conductor of hamon. It was enough to be used as bear-baiting against the vampires, provided that he was in a close enough range to them.

Zeppeli then thought for a moment, those vampires were talking about something earlier. Were they going to lure him away so that thing could get to Jonathan. He began to run across the rooftop, unfortunately, the integrity of the building had collapsed to the point where it had exploded. Zeppeli was knocked off from the roof onto the ground below.

\---

She could feel that the vampires were closing in on her, she grabbed the shard of glass. This piece of glass came from when the terminator threw the policemen across the hallway, causing a mirror to shatter. She managed to swipe it along with the gun she found earlier. She put in a small, hidden purse she carries with her from time to time.

The vampire was right behind, close enough to use the shard. She angled the shard to the right position, now she had to wait. She would use this lure the vampires back toward the manor. She would most likely not kill them in anyway, but she would at least do enough damage for Mr. Zeppeli to finish them off, given that he was still alive. If he wasn’t, it would make it harder for them to run away from the sun.

“You really believe that you get away, pretty girl? Come on now, don’t be shy!” The vampire chuckled maniacally. It was time.

She angled the shard into the right position. “Oh, was that supposed to kill me, pretty girl?” She remained silent. The fire was bright enough, just a few more seconds, she was holding the shard so hard that blood was dripping down you hand.

“Oh, pretty girl, do you realize all of your good blood is going to waste by doing that?” She was surprised the man wasn’t going to attack her. He must have found entertain in her plan, pity for him. A small burn mark was beginning to show on his jacket, it began to light his coat on fire.

“Oh? You think fire is supposed to stop me?” He mocked her.

“You’re not very bright, are you?” She asked.

“What?” He asked. Before he could realize what she was doing, she threw a small champagne bottle she had also snagged during the party. It erupted the small vampire into a decently sized inferno. The vampire lit up. His eyes burnt for a little bit.

“YOU BITCH, AGH THAT BURNS, HOW DARE YOU!” It ran right towards her before someone called out to her.

“Hey ugly! I’m the one you want right.” He stopped and turned his head.

“Wait, what was Speedwagon planning? Oh god, he’s worried enough that I will die, so he’s going to lure them, away isn’t he?” She thought. She wanted to scream out to him to stop.

“It’s alright, just run while you still have the chance!” He cried out. She could not argue, so she did. The vampire walked back over to Speedwagon. She ran around the side of the building, wondering where exactly she could go. She ran past some rope, wait, this was the same rope she used earlier to get into the building. Was Jonathan on top of the building? Maybe, just maybe, she could climb back up, Yet, that task would have been way more difficult due to the manor currently burning to the ground. Should she even consider going back up. She sighed, “Well, if I somehow manage to screw up and die. At least I tried.” She thought to herself. So, she wrapped the rope back around herself, and made her slow path towards the top, climbing back up once again proved once again to be a treacherous task. It was even more harrowing than before. The heat made her hands burn, and it was harder to grasp the side of the wall. Sometimes, a window would explode with heat, causing her to stop and take cover.

Somehow, after taking what seemed like forever, she managed to find herself back up to the top. She looked in the distance and saw that the terminator was slowly strangling Jonathan to death. “Cruel bastard, it is doing the same thing to him that he did to me. If it weren’t for that Park guy, I would have been dead. This thing must be advanced if it knows how to taunt, its even dangling him over the edge to mock him. Shit, how do I approach it? I gotta act now or this Jonathan guy is terminated, fuck.” She thought. 

She felt around, she still had the gun she swiped from earlier. It had some bullets left.

“Well, I might still have a chance.” She thought. She began to open fire again on the terminator.

“Come and get me you son of a bitch!” She screamed at the terminator. 

\---

This thing managed to throw Jonathan off it with ease. It would have predicted that Jonathan would have fallen off the roof. Yet, he rolled to the edge before stopping again, his body inches away from a fall to his death. Jonathan did not even wish to count how many times he had approached death itself near that edge. It was almost near the girl, it managed to catch up to her in such short amount of time. The agility of this creature was nothing to look down upon. A large explosion then erupted throughout the manner. The fire had created a hole within the roof. Despite its speed and weight, it too seemed to be taken aback by the fire. It stumbled a bit, Jonathan aimed for another attempt at killing the demon. They fell together within the hole. Jonathan could see the young woman staring down from above, her mouth agape in shock.

“Do not underestimate me demon, despite your strength I will still pursue you until the end of days! Your vile villainy has come to an end!” He cried out. It cocked its head and kick him away, grabbing into the wall itself as support, Jonathan managed to grab its leg before pushing himself up to kick it in the face. It then kicks him in the face again, anticipated him to fall back down, his hold only remained.

“I now understand why Skynet gave me the assignment to eliminate you.” Were the only words to come from it.

“Skynet?” Jonathan asked curiously. The weight of both of their bodies managed to collapse the wall, causing them to descend to the ground. Jonathan grabbed the steel demon with mad rage, “I know not what you have done with Dio, or why you chose to kill my father. However, this is the last time your cross with those I hold dear! So now I shall give you retribution for your crimes! Take this!” He used the pen it would have used on him and stuck it right in the face. The poison for a split second managed to blind it, afterwards it retaliated by breaking his hands, yet Jonathan still holds on.

“FATHER LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!” He cried out his departed father. In the hopes his energy would gift him the courage and strength to defeat the demon. He kicked, which put them right in line with the guardian angel of the Joestars. Jonathan fell to the ground. It was only partially impaled by the angel, seemingly it took no damage. However, chunks of the wall stuck it like a meteor, it became buried under the rubble.

\---

Amanda and Jonathan managed to fall to the ground. All that Amanda could see was too figures approaching them, she wanted to go back. There is no way that thing was dead, she was sure. Someone then wrapped their arms around her, she then felt herself being carried somewhere.

\---

Jonathan looked up and saw that Speedwagon was alright. This relieved him, perhaps he had bested the steel demon after all. Only time will tell, but if it somehow survived. He will pursue it, and he will enact righteous upon it. For now, he shall rest.

\---

“I had not anticipated that you were not, in fact, the real Dio.” Wang Chan said, brushing himself off. Searching through the rubble to find the mask.

“However, I shall receive my payment in return. A deal is a deal after all.” He said.

“Ah there it is.” Wang Chan exclaimed with glee. Yet, before he could reach out to it, something began to move within the rubble. A skeletal figure burst from the rubble, staring down Wang Chan with a demonic look. It grabbed him by the neck, he squirmed, pleading for his life. The figure then grabbed the mask and put it on his face.

A few moments later, Wang Chan dropped dead, the needles pierced had pierced his skull.


	6. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Hamon and Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the first fight with the terminator, Amanda relives her pasts memories that had led her to this point. On the other hand, Jonathan is beginning to be quite proficient in hamon. They have become much stronger over the past few weeks, but Amanda can’t help but feel worried that the terminator is plotting something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took a long time to post, I just have been really busy. Just to let you know I have not forgotten about ya'll. Again, if anyone wants to talk about constructive criticism, that would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Edit: I am doing fanfic patches so everything is more coherent and linear! I hope you don't mind!  
> Edit II: OH MY GOD! I did not think so many people would read my little fiction! Heh, heh. Thank you guys so much! I still have not forgotten about ya'll. Hopefully the seventh chapter will be out in one or two weeks. Again, Thank you!  
> Edit III: ("I am do fanfic patches" lmfao, just caught that)  
> Edit IV Oh wow, man school is rough, I'm still not dead just give me some time ok?

**London 2024**

Past a barren wasteland, there was a facility in the far distance. The dust-covered sun lit up what could be best seen, despite it looks, the facility was heavily guarded. Meanwhile, there was a dry desert road, an old military jeep rid across the road, running over the brittle bones of dead rat. The road was quite bumpy, and the repeated motion made Amanda want to puke. She held her hand on the rusty railing and pressed her head against the seat.

“Hey, are you okay?” Asked Michael, a slightly buff man with long brown hair and a beard.

“Yeah, I am.” She said nonchalantly.

“Well, we’re going to need you both at full strength for this mission, so don’t go dark on me now.” He said.

“Yeah, about the mission. What sort of mission is this exactly? I am not sure Connor would want us here all alone.” Said Josuke, crossed legged in the backseat.

“You’ll see.” Said Michael.

They drove a little while longer, it got a little darker, the facility seemed more and more distant, yet close. It felt like hours before they stopped, it was at least three-hundred meters away from the facility. Michael stepped out of the car and looked around, carefully observing his surroundings with his modified binoculars. He did not observe any units nearby, but one could not be too careful in this unknown territory.

“Okay, it seems somewhat safe to say this. I am going to need you to get out of the jeep.”

Both Amanda and Josuke slowly got out of the jeep.

“I am only going to say this once so listen closely. This is a secret mission, and Connor has entrusted you two to complete it.” He stops and stares at Amanda for a short while, she becomes a little nervous. Josuke only looks at him curiously.

“This facility was abandoned by Skynet. He needs both of you to go in there and retrieve important technology that Skynet may have left behind.”

“So, what am I here for then?” Asked Josuke.

“Your stand is quite essential to this mission. Any important files or items that may have been destroyed could possibly be recovered with your abilities.”

“Oh, I see. This is just a quick scouting mission? Well, based on my previous run-ins with Skynet, we’ll find nothing. It’s usually pretty thorough.” Said Josuke.

“Don’t be too sure of that Joe.” Said Michael.

“Hmm?” Asked Josuke.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about this place. Skynet aimed to get closer to one of our base camps here, this place is approximately fifty-thousand meters from base camp. This base also has an advantage point, it’s on a hill above the ground. With that height, sentries could look out for miles.”

“Seems like Skynet passed up on an opportunity then.” Josuke scoffed. “Its such a big bad AI but abandons facilities at the drop of a hat.”

“That wasn’t thing that made Skynet leave though, you can’t keep underestimating it. Let’s not forget, Skynet did manage to capture you.” Said Michael.

“Once, that was back in 2012, let’s not also forget that I also the first one to escape a workcamp. Around here, that’s an accomplishment. I’m also one of Connor’s top generals now if you’re not aware, it seems like I should be leading this mission.” Josuke remarked with pride.

“The fact that you were captured at all was dangerous. You know that other stand users captured by Skynet have never been seen again, losing you would have been a disaster for all of us, we’ve already lost-” Michael began to lecture Josuke, but he then interrupted him.

“Yeah, _don’t remind me of that_.” Josuke seemed to wince at that last part. Amanda wanted to know who he was talking about, but she would not dare ask. Everyone knows that asking about Josuke’s past was the second biggest thing to piss him off. The only person who would have known was Connor himself and his closest associates, so she assumed that Michael was associated with them somehow. The awkward silence hung around them for a while before Amanda decided to break the ice.

“There seems to be a way up to the back of the facility.” Said Amanda, “Look there.” Amanda pointed.

“You see the odd space where there seems to be no trees or rubble? There also seems to be heavier concentration of dirt and rubble that emphasis other areas within the facility, as if no-one wanted you to see that part. Like it wanted to look less important.” She pointed out. “That must be a secret entrance that gives someone easier access to the facility. Although, I don’t know why a Skynet facility would need that anyway.” She said.

“Wow, good eye Amanda.” Said Josuke in an assuring voice.

Michael then looked at the specified area, “Indeed, there is. Perhaps Connor had a reason for entrusting this newbie with a mission like this after-all.” 

“Huh? What do you mean by newbie?” Amanda asked.

“You should probably be able to enter the facility from there. From then on, I want you to use this talk to me.” Amanda became a little annoyed that he ignored her.

Michael then gave them both a heavily modified pager.

“I will refer to you both as Bravo, and Juliet from now on. You will also refer to me as Charlie.”

“Got it, get in there, use Crazy Diamond, get out. I’m guessing little Juliet here is my back-up in case Skynet pulls its usual crap, right?” Asked Josuke.

“Wait, it’s not that simple, I haven’t finished explaining yet. There still might be active mines surrounding the base. Many of them could have been placed in locations to discourage any resistance members to come back here. With A- Juliet’s sharps skills she might be able to point them out. Also, the reason for Skynet for pulling out of this camp was because it found a better location, closer, really close, rather than thinning out resources, it simply moved. One of the other reasons why we’re on this mission.” Michael said. There was a slight pause, Josuke’s cool demeanor began to slip away, as if Michael’s information made him slightly nervous.

“How close?” Josuke asked sternly.

“Approximately one-thousand and six-hundred meters from base camp.” Josuke tried to compose himself but she could tell the news put him more on edge.

“And you didn’t have the sense to tell me this before? I mean I knew there was a facility was close by, but _that close?_ Why don’t we trash that one instead?” Josuke asked, becoming off-edge. Amanda could see a small drop of sweat slowly descend from his pompadour all the way down to his chin.

“We didn’t want to start a panic over at the base camp. Anyway, for whatever reason, Skynet was in a hurry to get to this second camp. So, some stuff may have been left behind, and with your powers we can retrieve more than just what was left behind. Besides, we can’t just ambush this new facility, it’s too risky. Another reason to scour this base.” He said.

“Okay, I see now. I’ll make sure to update you constantly, _Charlie_.” Josuke said. Michael rolled his eyes. She could tell he was slightly annoyed by that Josuke did not treat him seriously.

Josuke and Amanda soon began their slow trek towards the Skynet facility. Amanda had picked up a heavy rock while they were walking. Once they got to a certain point close to the facility, she stopped him, picked up the rock, and threw it in-front of her, nothing happened. When the coast was clear they slowly moved forward towards their goal. As they walked, Josuke began a conversation.

“What is this guy?” Josuke asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you find it kind of weird that Connor set us out alone on a mission like this? Especially when we’re being bossed by a guy so stuck up.” Said Josuke.

“Well, you kind of said it yourself that _he_ wanted this. Connor trusted the guy to carry out this, as per _his_ words from _your_ conversation, ‘an odd mission.’” She remarked.

“Well, I know. Still, it doesn’t make any sense. I know you kind of see me as your big brother, and what not, but you’re a newbie. On the other hand, I’m a general, well, technically.”

There was a small pause, “You don’t think that there is the possibility that he could be a _Grey_ , right?”

“Stop!” Josuke stopped in his tracks. Josuke was at first worried he insulted her, but then realized they might be coming up on a new mine, so he stayed quiet. Amanda threw the heavy rock a meter in front of her, causing a small explosion. Josuke stopped the explosion with Crazy Diamond, reverting the explosion.

“Woah… that… was too close for comfort.” Said Josuke between catching breaths.

_~“Everything okay on your end Bravo?”~_

“Yeah Charlie.” Josuke pressed his pager. “We only encountered a mine, nothing _too_ bad.” Josuke emphasized his sarcasm.

_~“Alright, just let me know when you reach the entrance.”~_

After a few more close calls, they finally managed to get to the entrance without too many issues. It was in a small cavern space within the facility, it seemed slightly hidden way from everything else. Josuke inspected a door near the end of the cavern, it seemed like an electrical door. It had a small-interface system right next to the door, nothing too special about it. In fact, it was quite odd a Skynet facility would have such a secret entrance. It seemed like a human would have worked here. What did Skynet have to hide?

“Alright Charlie we’re here, the door seems to be shut. I’m going to open it.” Said Josuke.

_~“Make sure to be on your guard Bravo.”~_

“I will.”

With the power of Crazy Diamond, he managed to open the door with a loud roar and a bang. The door swings open, and they manage to step inside. Although Amanda cannot help but feel a slight bit of paranoia, a solid sheet of dread hung over her and she could not help but feel worried. What was getting to her, she could not tell. As if there was something disturbing thought or forbidden knowledge that hung at the deepest corner of her mind. It was there, but to her, it would remain permanently out of reach. However, she feared it would soon come closer to her. It seemed somewhat empty from what they saw, there was a staircase that led to main corridors of the building. Amanda wanted to find a map, but she knew she had to stick next to Josuke. Josuke got a out a flashlight and began to hunt for information.

“Alright Charlie, I think I found a back-up generator to the building, it seems damaged. I am going to see if Crazy Diamond can fix it.”

After a thud, there was a whir, then the lights blinked to life, and then peace and quiet. Then, a loud, ear-piercing-siren, wailed throughout the facility. Josuke panicked a bit, attempting to find some controls, but there were none.

“SHIT, WE MUST HAVE TRIGGERED SOME ALARM WHEN RESTARTING THE GENERATOR.” The door at the end shut itself.

“YOU THINK YOU COULD USE CRAZY DIAMOND TO MAKE US DOOR?” She yelled.

“NO DUH I AM GOING TO MAKE A DOOR.” He replied.

After punching a hug hole in the wall, they found an empty room, it was probably one of the rooms that was cleared out when it was abandoned. Amanda looked around, hoping they would find at least something of significance, but there was nothing. Josuke kept punching more walls until they found something, and they did. A room of active terminator models that had surrounded them.

“ _Heeey_ , Charlie, you said this place was mostly empty. Charlie? CHARLIE?” Nothing but static came from the other end. Josuke got into a defensive position, ready to take out any unit that got into their way. Amanda was not as combat ready as Josuke, nor as strong, but was equipped to take them on anyway. For some reason, her vision became blurry, she fell to the floor. All she could see was forms fighting one another.

\---

Amanda awoke with a hard jolt. She felt warm, her whole body felt sore, aching, and burning. She turned her head to see a woman had entered her room, her fingers looked dry and cracked. She probably had been cooling her burns for quite some time. The lady turned back to the girl, she brought the bandage over to her, cooling a burn on her leg. She looked into her eyes. She could see the fatigue in her face despite her warm smile. She wanted to speak, but the woman shushed her.

“You should rest child. You are very brave for what you did.” Amanda kept trying to remember what had happened and why she was there.

A man then walked into the room, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and worry, it was Speedwagon. He looked like he wanted to say something but did not want to disturb Amanda.

Although, she could tell that he wanted to apologize in some way, as if he wanted to say, “I apologize for ever doubting you little lady.” She thought he had apologized before, but this felt more genuine and caring.

The woman than put a cool rag over her head, it was cool and inviting, like a nice summer evening. She had forgotten how beautiful the sun looked like when it rose in the morning. She had forgotten how beautiful sunlight lit up the snow, or how elegant a relaxing rain was. When was the last sunrise she ever saw before the bombs dropped? When was the last cool evening she enjoyed before the thundering collapse of all infrastructure? She did not know, but now, she felt safe. She felt truly safe in those few moments, and to her that’s all that mattered to her then. Her eyelids felt heavy, slowly covering her sight before she was brought back to the illusive world of dreams.

\---

Speedwagon walked away, seeing that both Jonathan and the girl were safe, he walked back over to Mr. Zeppeli down the hall.

“How do you seem to be fine when we been through one of the worst dust-ups in a long time?”

“As I said before, it is technique that you do not quite understand yet. Do not forget it was I who saved you.”

Speedwagon’s mind transported him back to the manor. When vampires had him cornered, he remembered one of them choking him, slowly draining the life from his body.

_“This is what you get for being a gentleman you chump.”_

**_WHACK!!_**

Then he remembered Mr. Zeppeli standing before him, reaching out his hand to him in the mist of fire. He then remembered two bodies falling to the ground after the manor had abruptly collapsed in on itself.

“Yeah, I do.” He said softly.

“As I told you before Speedwagon, he managed to survive a run-in with these vampires. We just have to wait until he regains his senses.” Said Zeppeli.

“I would say that he did have some help.” He said.

“True, which is why I’d like to show you something Mr. Speedwagon.” Said Zeppeli.

They walked out of the hospice to a river nearby. It was almost dawn, as the sun glowed red on the edges of the water, wrapping the whole environment in an orange glow. There was a slight croaking in the distance, past the water’s edge.

“I would have met him here if I was not forced to interfere.” Zeppeli said bluntly.

“Well, to be fair sir, not many of us wanted to be here.” Said Speedwagon.

“Yet, there are circumstances where we must overcome. You see Speedwagon, this is the place I want to train Mr. Joestar.” He said.

”What are you saying?” Said Speedwagon.

Zeppeli took a confident stride, standing tall, “I am saying I am going to train him in the ways of hamon.” 

\---

Poor Jonathan could not wrap his head around it. The brother he grew up with, the brother he knew and loved, was replaced by a monster. Not only was it a monster, it imitated his brother, it made him believe that his brother could change, and be decent gentleman. He was so disgusted by how it toyed with his emotions. Could it feel emotions itself? Did it even care about Jonathan? Although Dio was once a villainous fellow, he never wished his brother had been replaced by an imitation. There was a time, even though he did not show it, he hated Dio. He had wished he would go away, and now he felt guilty. Did the Holy Father perhaps, grant him his wish to teach him humility, patience?

Erina was still tending to his wounds, but he never knew why. She had been gone for so long. He had even anticipated seeing her at the celebration. She had changed and grown to be so beautiful. He could never forget a face like hers. Why was she here now? Maybe, after all this time, she still loved him. He had only hoped so, he wanted to see her again after so long, even after Dio had corrupted their relationship in youth. He slowly opened his eyes, she looked upon him with great joy.

“Thank goodness, you are through the worst of it.” She said.

“So you’ve been tending to my injuries.” He says as pretends to be oblivious.

“But how can, how can you’ve have been standing here? Wait, you have the images of-“ He wanted to call her name right then, but then he realized she could not really be her. Erina had been away for so long, after all.

“I’m sorry, your face reminds me of a girl I used to know.” He said.

“Her name would not happen to be, Erina Pendleton would it?” She said. He smiled and sat himself up. It really was her. Why did he even doubt when he knew it was her.

“It’s you!” He wanted to cry tears of joy, it almost made him forget.

“It’s been a long time, Jonathan Joestar, JoJo.” She said.

“Erina, you’ve really grown up.” Her face turned to shock.

“Me? But you’ve grown a fair sight more. Yet-“ Her eyes began to water. “You’re still the boy you were.” She said.

Then, she began to waltz around before stumbling, she fell right into his arms. “Apologies, I must have fainted, why JoJo you’re arm, it’s broken! You shouldn’t have caught me!” She said.

“You caught me long ago.” He replied.

\---

It had been several days now since the incident with the terminator, now Amanda just sits around and watch the frog travel across the river near the bridge. That woman, Erina, has sort of turned into a mother-like figure for her while she was in that place. She never could forget that she called her brave. It seemed like such an insignificant thing to obsess over but it feels like a cup of refreshing ice water after weeks of bitter saltwater. It has not been too long since she has received a real compliment of recognition but far enough to be in dire need of another one. She laughed to herself, why does she even need compliments in the first place? Is it like sugar or a vitamin to her? She laughed even more to how ridiculous that sounded.

Not to insult Speedwagon or the others, they have respected her boundaries and kept her safe. From some of her interactions with the people lurking about, she does understand her concerns. Yet, she feels what he said to his father that day, she could not help but feel proud.

_“I feel as though she is doing the right thing.”_

She was doing the right thing. Even if it foolishly got her killed. She felt as though she needed to hear that. At least someone could at the very least, understand, what the issue was and what she was trying to do. For once in her life, she felt like she was in a peaceful place, a place where she could not be harmed by anyone and felt respected. Yet, there was a thought that lingered in the back of her mind. There was no way that thing could have died during that fight. Did the others know that though? They probably did, or did not, and that is what uneased her.

It is at times like this were she wished all of this were just a dream. Maybe, just maybe, she was in a deep coma due to a fatal car crash. The only reason she experienced everything she did was due to the television next to her hospital bed. Maybe it first played a sci-fi dystopia, and then a Victorian drama. Yet, when she pinches herself, she was still there. She felt the pain, she felt the breeze, she felt ten years of her life wasted by these cruel machines. This was real life, and no wishful thinking could wash that away.

“You seem to be crying little miss, are you okay?” A voice called to her, it was Jonathan, aided by Erina.

She clutched the cast on her right arm, “Yes, I am, I guess. Also, I’m not little, I’m seventeen.”

Jonathan appeared shocked for a moment. To him, he looked younger than she appeared. Perhaps it was years of starvation and malnutrition during an unending war against a relentless artificial intelligence that could have caused it. “You should rest in your shape, regardless of your age, you took quite the thrashing. Possibly more-so than me.”

She was too tired at that moment to argue, yet she still felt oddly resilient. She was about to speak when Mr. Zeppeli approached Jonathan.

“Ah, there you are JoJo. I hope you are doing well there Signori Joestar. Oh, and nice to see you here Signorina Pendleton!”

“Yes, I am. Thank-you Mister Zeppeli.” 

“JoJo, you remember that technique I performed, correct?” He asked.

“Are you referring to the hamon technique? Yes I do.” Jonathan replied.

“Well what if you were to learn, right now?” He cued.

“Right now? But, should at least wait until I am well?” Jonathan replied in concern.

“About that.” Suddenly Mr. Zeppeli ran up to Jonathan with his hand and poked him right in the chest with his pinky finger.

“JoJo!” Cried Erina.

“Now let all the shock of that impact push all the air out of your body!”

“Hey, what the hell was that for? He did not do anything to you!” Amanda cried in anger.

“Watch your language young lady. Do not think I am some bumbling fool with no cause.” Mr. Zeppeli replied.

Erina came to the defense of Amanda, “Despite her vulgarity, she was right about one thing! He was already hurt!”

“It is true I knocked the air out of him, but you will see in due time.” as he pulls out a sandwich and begins to eat it.

“Are you kidding me?” Amanda thought to herself.

Suddenly, Jonathan began to rise back up, like he had felt different. He looked back at his arm A loud cracking sound could be heard. “What is this? My broken bones are mending?”

“As you can see, I admired your courage, even if that thing was not a vampire. You had managed to single-handedly beat something with much more strength than you. For that alone, I could teach in the ways of hamon.” He stated affirmatively.-

“Amazing. I can even lift this rock!” Jonathan exclaimed while lifting a rock.

"incredible!" Cried Erina.

Amanda stared with a dead look on her face. “You can’t be serious.” She thought.

Amanda wanted to ask if she could have the same thing happen to her, but she was not sure if even she wanted to. She needed rest anyway, so she decided to get up and walk back, but then she had a hesitating thought. It would a little boring, besides, in 19th century Britain, what was there to do really?

\---

“Now follow me, the reason I have decided to help you also involves a tragic accident. Now, listen closely, what I am about to tell you will change your destiny forever.” He said.

When Jonathan and Erina came to the place that Mr. Zeppeli lead them to. He began to speak, “There was a reason I struck you in the diaphragm. The impact altered your breathing. However, due to recent circumstances. You know the basics of hamon, and yet, you do not understand it’s full concept.”

He walked over to a stone with a frog on it. He began to breathe in heavily, the water around him began to spin rapidly. Jonathan looked on curiously, “What mischief is he up to now?” Jonathan thought. He turn his right hand into a fist, aiming to punch the frog.

Both Jonathan and Erina pleaded him to not hurt the frog, but he punches it anyway, causing the rock below to split in half. The frog, then nonchalantly hopped away through the water without a scratch.

Jonathan gasped, “That frog seems none the worse.”

“That was Sendo you saw.” He simply replied.

“Wait, Sendo?” Jonathan asked curiously.

“It’s ripple energy, created by hamon.” Mr. Zeppeli’s hand began to spark with energy.

Amanda watched from a distance, it reminded her of the first time Mr. Zeppeli told her about hamon. It was after Park, or what his name was attempted to use it on the terminator.

_“It was Hamon had attempted to perform.” He said. “The only reason he had failed was because his technique was off. You said you galloped into the air. I warned you Mr. Park to hesitate before you performed that technique.”_

Amanda had felt bad for letting that man die by the hands of that terminator. Yet, there was no to real way to stop it. She already had to deal with another crisis that thing had developed.

“That MASK must be destroyed!” Mr. Zeppeli cried, “And it’s master must be reduced to rubble!” Amanda returned to her eavesdropping.

“I know we worked together before to defeat these vampires! It is your destiny to defeat the vampires and-”

“But what about that Amanda girl, she was also very noble, does she deserve some credit?” He asked.

“That knobhead?” Mr. Zeppeli had attempted to keep that thought to himself, but he had accidentally said it aloud. This drew Amanda out of hiding.

“Hey! That was uncalled for!” She cried out.

Jonathan gasped, “Amanda, you were following us all this time?” He asked.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry… I was bored and…”

“Quite the sneaky aren’t you little missy?” Mr. Zeppeli retorted.

“Hey! I’m not a little missy you know. Look, you are going to get that mask back, right? I could help you too. That hamon stuff maybe good and all against vampires but it won’t do much for a terminator. You also need some wit to defeat that thing. I am guessing we all know that thing isn’t dead. It may come back for us. You may not know what that thing is of yet, but I could help you! I could teach you some tricks handed to me from the resistance!”

“Well, she is correct about that for sure. Hamon will do no good against that metal demon.” Jonathan agreed.

“However, this destiny, it still does not make any sense!” Jonathan pondered while grabbing a branch.

“JoJo, do you know what is going on?” Said Erina.

Jonathan looked at her, he began to worry. He did not wish for the love of his life to be dragged into something so dangerous. Especially with that metal demon, it does not seem to show any remorse for it bloodthirst. It will slaughter any innocent being standing in its way. He did not want, no, he must not allow anything to harm this woman. Yet, that girl, she was as in much danger as Erina was. Could he allow this girl to be removed from this conflict like Erina? Would that be unfair then? He was still confused to how such a bloodthirsty being was crafted, but this girl seemed to understand. Should he push away someone that could help them, just for peace’s sake?

Meanwhile, Mr. Zeppeli looked on astonishment. He managed to get past his annoyance with the girl for a short-while due on part with Jonathan’s hamon evolution. He had not realized that he had passed hamon into the tree branch he had grabbed. What more could he accomplish with the refinement of his hamon abilities?

“Rejoice mankind, on this day. I have found your champion!” Mr. Zeppeli thought.

\---

**A few days earlier**

A woman screamed for her life before the madman slice her to ribbons. He looked down at the carnage he wrought, he was not far from a monster, was he? Or he simply was, Jack the Ripper, who had slowly sowing fear and chaos into London. He somehow felt pride in that, knowing he will leave a permanent mark upon the residents of London. It gave him a strange sense of joy.

Yet, he felt a strange presence watching him from a distance, a hooded figure. He felt angry that someone would dare stalk him. The fierce Jack that sows discord among men. Wait, he began to investigate further into that darkness, there were two figures. His anger began to boil over. How dare these two? Were they almighty bobbies who thought that they could finally lock him away to rot? Perhaps foolish crusader who thought they could put matters into their own hands? No good weasels, they were going to get what was coming to them. Yet when he looked back, they suddenly disappeared.

“Aye, I know your there! You can’t hide from me, show yourselves cowards!” He cried out.

When he turned again, he gasped. He fell onto the ground with a thud. He stood there in horror and awe. What he saw before him was no man. Was it perhaps Death itself? Two red eyes stared right into his very soul. He began to tremble for a minute. Why did he come here? Yet deep down, he knew. It was his punishment. He knew he could not run from his damnation, if not in this life, it was in the next. Death has come to bring him to his punishment, the punishment knows full well that he deserves.

“Oh God please spare me!” He cried as he drops to his knees. “I know my actions are devilish but please grant me mercy yee Angel of destruction!”

Death simply looked down upon him in disgust. He knew full well that would not work on him.

“Ah, yes! A corrupted soul full of hate, and anger!” A voice called out from the distance. “I told you he would make for a nice meal, or perhaps a better follower of mine!” A short Asian man approached him, he looked pale with sharp teeth. He crept ever closer to him.

“What the hell?” The Ripper asked. He aimed his bloody knife towards the man. “Don’t come any closer!” He warned.

“Oh, come now, you know that will not work on me.” Said the man.

His hand then grabbed for his throat. He felt the life being drained from him. The man’s screams echoed throughout London, knowing full well nothing within those streets would answer in return.

\---

It was a week into Jonathan’s Hamon training, he felt by each day he was becoming stronger. Not only was he being taught by Mr. Zeppeli. He had learned that one day while Zeppeli was young and away with his father on a dig. He had unearthed the mask, leading to his father donning the mask and murdering his crew mates. He sympathized with Jonathan about how his father was turned into a vampire as well. Which is why, he really wanted to train Jonathan in Hamon. Mr. Zeppeli found it important. Which led him to the discovery of hamon, and how hamon energy and the energy of vampires are two sides of the same coin.

He also learned some interesting skills from this mysterious girl as well. Just as much as he learned hamon, he learned as much on survival. For example, more unorthodox ways of starting fires such as flint and steel. Or, where to find food in the most, unlikely of places. He sometimes questioned how bad things must have gotten into her time for something for her to learn such things. He also learned the origins of such a being to exist. Apparently, the machines he used in his time had become so advanced to the point the develop their own minds. Yet not any souls. These beings then decided to declare war on humanity as they threatened their survival.

“Amanda, you said you came from a different time, right?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She said.

“What was it like to live such a time? It must have been so horrible for you. I really do not understand how a girl such as yourself could have lived through something like that.”

“It was, for a little while. I had my own friends in the underground tunnels. We would play games with what we had, and crack jokes. Sometimes we would play hide and seek in a sewer system. I know that sounds kinda gross, but we couldn’t really go above ground. Since, you know, _they_ hunted above ground.” Amanda sighed.

“You had friends? What were their names?”

“Well, there was Jack, Sam, and Eli. We were good friends since childhood, but then one day we kind of got unlucky.” She said sadly.

“What do you mean unlucky?”

“One team of terminators managed to find our location, I, and a few of my friends got captured. Unfortunately… I never got to see any of them ever again. I don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

“That’s terrible!” Cried Jonathan.

“Well, the reason I managed to escape was because of Josuke. He freed me from one of the facilities where I got this tattoo from.” He showed her the tattoo. “They put these on everyone who goes into the work camps. They mostly use you for experiments or interrogation.”

“Which is why I look up to Josuke, he was like a big brother to me.”

“What happened to Josuke?” Jonathan asked.

She paused for a moment, remembering what happened. “He… didn’t make it.” She said, “I think you should continue your hamon training.” She said as she got up to walk away.

“Wait, was it something I said? My apologies if that was too much!” He tried to console her.

“No, it’s just, a little too much, for right now.” She said.

“Well,” Jonathan put a hand on her shoulder. “I just wish to say. If you need someone to talk to, I’ll be here.” He said.

\---

Amanda watched as Jonathan trained with Mr. Zeppeli for several weeks. She watched as he went through his fails at a technique to an eventually success. She often looked at Mr. Zeppeli, wondering if he was really the guy, she thought he was. There were some traits they shared, such as stealth.

There was one afternoon where she saw them train together. Right now, she was witnessing them raise their fists towards each other. Then, they began to fight, suddenly Mr. Zeppeli’s arm stretched out and knocked Jonathan down on his feet. It looked as if Jonathan attempted to rush toward Mr. Zeppeli before being knocked down by him.

“Zoom punch is a useful one. I’ve merely dislocated my shoulder. Hamon dulls then pain and the surprise is well worth the effort.” He said.

“You must maintain the rhythm of your breath, even when taking a hit.” He said as he wacked him with an umbrella. “If your mind or heart or tempestuous, the caliber of your hamon will suffer.”

“Yes sir.” Said Jonathan.

“Oi! I Found something!” Cried Speedwagon from the distance.

“Really what is it?” Jonathan asked.

“It’s something regarding a town nearby, if I believe.” He replied.

Amanda kept staring at Mr. Zeppeli, she knew there was something familiar, and she knew what it was. Yet, she was not sure if it really was supposed to him. If he really is who she thinks he is then she needed to get to know him better. Or for worse, she would suffer.

\---

A hooded figure sat in a chair reading a book, seemingly curious as to how far humanity has advanced to this point.

“Alright sir, I’ve got what you wanted here sir, now where’s our meal? I mean it is only a fair bargain.” A red-headed vampire approached it, placing various metals in-front of the figure.

  
The figure removed his hood, “You vampires and you humans are not really that different, are you?” It was a terminator whose alloy skin had regrow back upon its face. The terminator looked unimpressed at its new-found acquaintances. It slowly went into another room and retrieved a terrified woman.

He threw her down, she landed with a loud bang. “Here, your transaction.” It said, as it grabbed the metals from the vampire’s feet. The woman’s screams echoed from the distance as the vampire appeased its craving.

The terminator looked back to the mask, _“So this is what this mask produces. These vampires, although greater in strength, seem much more animalistic than humans. Like animals, their craving for blood is the only thing that drives them. However, their strength, perhaps, could be admired. It would better suited to use this power in a more proficient way.”_ Needles pierced the pieces of torn metal, it did not need it to repair itself, in-fact, it's alloy skin can regrow within an hour, but when in contact with metals it is able to store more power.

The time to strike was almost near, and then would it efficiently terminate that lone resistance fighter and the target. Then, will the timeline would be adjusted to the machine’s favor.

\---

“Amanda… Amanda… Amanda, wake-up!” Amanda was jolted awake. Amanda found herself lying on the ground in front of Josuke.

“Wha, what-happened?” Amanda asked groggily while wiping her head.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT. I knew Skynet would pull some bullshit like this, damn it, FUCK!” Josuke cursed. “That fucking piece of shit computer, I knew it was a trap! It lured us here so it could get me! MOTHERFUCKER!”

“What happened?” Amanda asked again.

“One of those tin cans was sly and shot you with something! It did that so they can capture me. I should have never listened to Michael, Charlie my ass. Ugh!” Josuke hit his fist against a wall, causing a loud bang.

“So, what do we do? Escape?” She asked.

“I, I actually don’t know.” Josuke sighed, as he slumped over. “Those tin cans are guarding the whole facility. They’re not going to let us escape. I mean I know I am a pretty powerful stand user, but I’m not immortal. I can’t just blaze past them.”

“What if we find a map, maybe on like a television, or screen, or something? Please tell me you at least found a map somewhere.” Amanda asked curiously.

“No. They’re probably in the control room or something, I just can’t BELIEVE I allowed this to happen.” Josuke cursed.

“No, no it’s okay. You said there must be some control room, right? Once we find the control room, we can probably shut this place down from the inside. Then we’ll have the upper hand since the units won’t be able to contact Skynet directly.” She said.

“Yeah, that’s going to be quite hard. How are we going to get past all these units?” He said.

“Well, remember when we did that mine scouring before?” She said, “Well… ”

“Oh, I like where this is going.” Josuke said.

“There is just another thing.” She said.

“Yeah, and?” Said Josuke.

“We’re going to need one of those guns they have. Think you can help me do that?”

“I really like where this is going.”

\---

They ran through several hallways once they had managed to get themselves a bit far from the terminators. They changed directions several times to be unpredictable in the unit’s algorithm. They began to slowly walk around before they saw a lone unit standing guard near a staircase.

“Alright, you get that one, while I take its gun.” She said.

_“Hey, look at you. You’re giving orders now. You should have been the one to lead this mission Juliet.”_ Josuke whispered.

_“Well, it’s always good to get some fresh ideas from others, right?”_ She giggled.

_“Alright, shh, shh. Let’s not alert them again.”_ They readied themselves.

“ _Oh yeah, right. Ok, on three… one… two…_ THREE!” They ambushed the terminator. Josuke used Crazy Diamond to smash the chip in its head. Josuke caught the unit with his stand and set it to the ground. Amanda quickly took the ray gun and loaded it.

“Alright. No time to waste, let’s go.” Said Josuke then proceeded to walk down the stairs.

“Woah, woah, woah, wait!” Said Amanda. “Something’s off. What is with these stairs?”

“Yeah, now that you think about it, this feels too easy.” Said Josuke. “Why did they let you go?” Asked Josuke.

“What do you mean?” Asked Amanda.

“Earlier, when they shot you. I had fought to get you back, I mean, one of them had you at one point the, they just let me take you back. Amanda, are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, it feels like there’s something else here to.” Said Josuke.

“That’s not what I meant buuuut….” Amanda then rubbed her neck, she felt a slight bump. “What other choice do we have? We need to escape.”

“Yeah, obviously.” Said Josuke. There was a small silence for a while before Josuke realized something.

“Amanda let me see your neck.”

“What?” Amanda asked.

“Let me see it now!” He barked.

“Oh, uh, ok.” Said Amanda as she showed him her neck.

“I didn’t see this before in all the commotion, but-“

“OW!” Amanda yelled. “Hey what the hell?”

“A GPS tracker, those sons of bitches.” Josuke growled angrily.

“Wait, what?” Amanda asked worryingly.

“Correct, we had placed a chip in her.” A robotic voice called from the distance. They both turned to see the previously trashed T-800 get itself back onto its feet. Amanda pointed her gun at the unit.

“We had realized it would have been pointless to capture you in that wide-open area, so we had thought the more optimal alternative was to corner you here.” It had said.

“How the fuck are you still alive?” Asked Josuke.

“As you can see, we have been working on several new projects. Both of you were the preferred test subjects. Multi-chip systems, due to the precarious nature of these stand-users. We had found it sub-optimal to store our main CPUS in one area."

“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“It would had left us vulnerable. Due to recent events, it appears that our new systems are successful. However, that is not the only reason you were brought here.”

“GO TO HELL YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF ALUMINUM!” Josuke screamed as he punched the terminator in the face with his stand, causing it fly backwards by two meters before crashing.

“GO GO GO!” Screamed Josuke as they both ran down the steps.

It seemed no matter where they both ran a unit would seem to magically appear. Josuke smashed through walls and every place he could, but they still seemed to surround him. He then saw a hole in the ground caused by debris. He then used Crazy Diamond to punch it, causing both Amanda and Josuke to fall. “Hold on!” Cried Josuke. He used some paneling from the wall to cushion their fall. This will surely add a few minutes.

“Wow, that was a bit much.” Said Amanda.

They then found themselves in a large circular room with a large steel door in front of them. They could both hear something radiating softly from the inside of the door. They both looked around, there was no unit close by.

“Wait, no way. I think I recognize this.” Josuke said.

“What, what is it?” Asked Amanda.

“I thought these were just insane rumors. Hang on.” Josuke then used his stand to slowly beat the door down. Revealing another door with a window, revealing a circular space within the middle of it within the far distance. He then used Crazy Diamond to fix the door so that they would be barricaded, adding another few minute for them. He also smashed an interface outside the door for good measure.

“I… can’t believe this is real.” Said Josuke as he pressed his face through the window.

“What? Please tell me, I, don’t understand.”

“It’s a sort of, uh, time travel mechanism, if I’m correct.”

“Wait, WHAT?”

“Yeah, I don’t believe it either.” Replied Josuke.

“You’re kidding me Josuke, that doesn’t exist.” Said Amanda.

“So this is what Connor meant by a heavy cost.” Said Josuke.

“What?” Asked Amanda.

“I think, I… found the real purpose of this mission. It wasn’t to retrieve anything. It’s to go back. I’m assuming sometime around the eighties.”

“Wait, we’re going to go back?” Asked Amanda.

“No… I do. They probably want something from the eighties… I assuming that is what Connor also thinks as well.” He said. Josuke then proceeded to pummel on the door, but for some reason. It seemed much harder, as if it were made of a hard metal that Josuke could not quite pierce through.

A voice came over the intercom.

_“We suggest that you cease that action immediately. It would take approximately five minutes for a stand such as yours to break through that barrier.”_

“Damnit, this must be titanium! This is going to take me a while.”

“What are you going to do once the units come down here? You obviously can’t beat that door down while fighting of those T-800s at the same time!”

“Change of plans, you’re going.” He said.

“What?” Said Amanda.

“You’re right, I can’t do two things at once, even I somehow managed to break down this door. Those tin cans will catch up to us. So, you will have to go back. For right now, cover me.”

“No! I can’t! I’m not equipped for something like this!” She said.

“You’re a pretty smart girl, you’ll make it.” She aimed her gun in the other direction, waiting for any unit who tried to enter.

She then heard loud thumps approaching. She saw an interface nearby, there was probably no way she could open it, she did not have that kind of computer skills. Using Crazy Diamond to open any of these interfaces would be useless since most of the modern facilities she seen, they can just the door again. So, she shot the interface. She could hear them disassembling the door. She could hear her heart racing. The clock was ticking, and she was not sure if he was going to make it. Finally, she heard the door break open in-front of her. She began to fire repeatedly.

Finally, Josuke was able to open the door. “There, go! I’ll hold them off! Just hit the restart button and then Auto if it does not activate automatically, after that just stand in the middle, that’s what Connor told me.” 

“No.” She said.

“What?”

“No! I won’t leave you behind, we need you!” Amanda cried.

“Forget about me just go!” Josuke screamed back at her.

“But we need you!” Tears began to fall from her face. He was her saving grace that day she got rescued from the work camp. She was like the big brother she never had, and now she will lose that too. Just like her parents.

“No, we just need someone to go back, you’re our only chance!” Josuke said.

“What if you’ll die?”

“I will happily die for the resistance than be in the hands of Skynet.”

“But I can’t leave you!” She pleaded.

“DAMN IT AMANDA, JUST GO!!”

She stared at him for a moment before running towards the machine. It emanated a dark blue glow. She could already see something going into the center and entering a kneeling position. A terminator must have been sent back, but this one, looked different. It looked at her before a light began to shine brightly, almost blinding her. The terminator was gone. She raced around, figuring out how to activate it, there were stairs that circled it. She ran up the stairs until she found an interface. She tapped her fingers repeatedly.

“Restart, then Auto correct?” She said to herself. She then pressed the buttons. A pop-up appeared on the screen.

**-TIME ACTIVATION JUMP IN 5 MINUTES-**

“Five minutes? But I need to go now!” She cried. “Ugh, just stand in the middle right?” She said to herself. She then raced back to the center of the machine. She could feel the machine slowly whirring to life as she waited for it activate.

_“Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on…”_ She kept whispering to herself.

\---

When Amanda had run into the center fixture Josuke used Crazy Diamond to shut the door behind her. Just as the units outside were about to break the door down, he banged the door again with Crazy Diamond. This caused the door to seal itself in place. Josuke took some deep breaths, the smell of metal overwhelmed him. He felt like he was wearing himself thin with all the fixes he was doing. A loud boom echoed from the door causing it to burst open, this caused him to blow back against the second door. It seemed like a swarm of metal figures surrounded him.

“Please, surrender now, we would rather prefer you would be left alive.”

“Alright… you want to dance… I’ll dance. Yamero.” He said.

Three figures raced toward Josuke. He used his stand to punch all three of the units before they fell back. One aimed and then fired at Josuke with a gun. He managed to dodge before punching the gun out of his hand with his stand. Two lunged at him from the side, he then used his stand to break the limbs off one and then fixing it in the second one, fusing them together. A couple more lunged, so he broke of the interface with his stand and began to beat one with it.

One from behind took aim at him and began to charge their ray gun, he threw the interface at it causing it to misfire and scorch his pompadour. Josuke stopped for one second and looked at it dead in the eyes.

“Just for that…. I’m going to pound you into fucking dust.” He said.

Josuke went into an unholy fury, pounding every single terminator he found in-sight. Unfortunately, every unit that he knocked down another took its place. Josuke rushed towards another figure until he got shot in the side. He stumbled for a few seconds, before proceeding to punch another. The constant motion and fixing of objects caused his stand speed to slow, however he persisted. Another unit managed to get in another shot at Josuke in the stomach. He managed to punch another three, before another shot strait through the chest. Josuke fell to the ground, his stand slowly reached out towards the terminator in-front of him.

“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you…” He slowly muttered as the terminator got closer to him. It aimed directly at its head. Crazy Diamond slowly got closer to the terminator, reeling in a slow punch.

It proceeded to take aim and fire. Blood baked the units face as Crazy Diamond evaporated before it. Although the units could not see the stand, they knew it was gone.

Once they knew the life functions of the stand user ceased, they proceeded to retrieve the corpse. They almost felt slight disappointment, as the user would had been more useful alive. It did not matter if the girl had managed to travel back, she would not go far.

\---

Amanda heart raced, she heard footsteps getting closer. The lightning had become fierce. In the distance she could see red eyes slowly coming towards her. She knew right then, that Josuke was dead. A deep feeling of dread fell upon as the realization slowly opened in her mind. Yet before she could say anything she was blinded by white light. Her bones felt like they were vibrating, and then the next moment, she felt cold, extremely cold. She also felt, exposed? The white slowly dissipated but not fully. A figure stood before her, but when she tried to approach it everything then turned black.

\---

“So, the village is called Windknight’s lot.” Said Jonathan.

“Right, they had a string of disappearances lately, People vanishing after dark.” Speedwagon replied.

Amanda looked around the room for a moment, confused as to where she was. It seemed slightly bumpy, if she had not been the wiser, she would have assumed she is being carried off to another work camp.

“Some caught a glimpse of some strange vampires, and even of a fella named Dio.” It was right then she knew why they came here for. She clutched a small basket in-front of her. She looked out the window, it was only a matter of time before she would come face to face with the terminator again.

They began to approach a fence. “Look gents, and uh, madam, that’s the entrance to Windknight’s lot.” Said Speedwagon.

Amanda’d heart began to race, as she believed it that they could not fight the terminator in this condition. She rotated her arm. It was still a little sore. Suddenly, there was a bump, then the carriage seemed to stop completely.

“Why did we stop?” Asked Jonathan.

“Oi Mate, hurry it up!” Yelled Speedwagon, as he opened his door before hesitantly leaving the carriage.

“Is it a good idea to leave the carriage?” Amanda asked.

“Indeed miss. We need to get out of here, sunlight cannot protect us in here.” Jonathan suggested. 

There was silence before Speedwagon gasped, then screamed. By instinct, Amanda reached into her pocket and pulled out a small knife while the others fixated on the current issue. She sighed, they were definitely about to get into another fight.


	7. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Part 1: Memories of Windknight’s Lot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Amanda and her new-found companions approach the village of Windknight’s Lot Amanda gets a strange feeling of deja-vu. Still, she attempts to form a plan on how to beat the terminator when they are blindsided by a trap. Meanwhile, Jonathan becomes more adept to his Hamon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, it's been a long time hasn't it, don't worry, I'm still alive. First, I like to add that I am SOOOOO sorry that it took this long. School is just, well, just a mess. Still, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter! Sorry again to keep you waiting! As always, constructive criticism is welcome!  
> Edit: Oops, i did a whoopsie, hold on, its supposed to say "several weeks later."

“What is going on out there?” Jonathan got out of the carriage to check on the horse.

“Listen, all of you, do not go near the horses.” Mr. Zeppeli warned.

When Amanda had managed to get out of the carriage with her basket, she can see a figure slowly rising from where the horse’s head used to be.

“Eeeew, Disgusting.” She thought.

“AAH, What in the blue hell!?!!!! That crazy blight is inside our horse!” Speedwagon cried.

He then rumbled inside the horse before erupting from the horse. “God! This one is mad as a hatter! That terminator may have ripped out a man’s heart, but I have not seen it come out of a horse!”

“Somehow, he must be gathering minions, and who knows how many he has!” Noted Jonathan.

Zeppeli stabbed a bottle of wine and poured it into a cup. “Step aside my young friends. I will do the fighting.”

“He is a zombie. They must feed on living flesh to survive. However, they are in constant thrall to their master, not unlike marionettes.” He explained further.

“Now, now, before all the blood is drained from your faces. I only ask that two of your party members here to come here. This machine fellow may not be my master, but I got a deal with em’ yeah? If the little lady and the man come here willingly. I may be gentle with you. This machine just wants to ensure your both bones before I eat ya, got it? If not, I may just cut of those useless heads of yours…” He aimed his knife at Jonathan.

“… and watch the blood spray out of your necks!” He taunted. “Either way, you’re going to die.”

Amanda became annoyed as her eye began to twitch, she wanted to talk back but Jonathan pushed her out of the way to threaten their foe. “We will never let that happen and will ensure your current master’s destruction!” He cried out.

_“Forgive me for that brazen action Amanda, but I cannot allow you to get hurt.”_ Jonathan whispered to Amanda.

“Well, suit yourselves then!” He said as he stabbed a knife into his head.

“Now, you mewling corpses to be! Prepare for the carnage!” He announced.

“Tell me, what’s his next move?” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“You must think as he does. Jojo, this strategy will serve you in good stead!”

“Ask yourself, ‘What would be the most advantageous thing for my foe to do next?’ Him, for example, If he blocks off the tunnel entrance. We can’t retreat into the sunlight.” As soon as Zeppeli had suggested that, Jack threw the carriage to the entrance causing it to crash, creating an avalanche.

“Just as I predicted! He has blocked off our retreat!” Cried Zeppeli.

“Amanda, Speedwagon, jump!” Jonathan screamed.

Speedwagon managed to dodge before any debris could hit him, but Amanda was not so lucky as she had managed to slip. She anticipated debris to hit her, but just in time. Jonathan had managed to save her. They landed safely within in the middle of tunnel before the zombie.

“Try Harder.” Mr. Zeppeli taunted.

The zombie growled at them. Shiny objects began to rise from his skin. Upon closer inspection, they looked like knifes.

“Baron Zeppeli, you didn’t say nothing about fighting a pin-cushion!” Said Speedwagon.

Zeppeli took a drink from the wine. The knifes released from his skin and shot directly towards the group.

“Hamon cutter!” Zeppeli cried before spitting out the wine, the wine formed small blades that crashed against the knifes. Amanda looked on in awe. She did not realize hamon could be such a powerful tool. The knifes split and broke apart around Zeppeli.

“I’m afraid your knifes are rather dull compared to my Hamon cutter.” Zeppeli taunted again.

“JoJo, this creature illustrates a principle. I principle I spoke about before.” He said. “Imagine a miniscule flea, so small that it’s barely visible.” The zombie pulled out another knife.

“Why is it they bite humans who tower over them without a single thought to their own safety? Would you call their behavior courageous?” The zombie charges his knife toward Zeppeli.

“Of course not, it is hunger compelling them. As I said before, JoJo. Courage is to look your fear in the eye and know it has no dominion over you!” He said as he blocks his knife with the bottle of wine, causing it to shatter.

“Fear scatters your breathing. When you toss your fear into the dust, breathing is the sword ever at your hip! Breathe with courage and you will never want for hamon! Bravery is our birthright lads!” Amanda rolled her eyes. “And for all the abilities they might bring into battle. Courage is something he relinquished when he took this form! They’re no better than fleas! SENDO WAVE KICK!” Mr. Zeppeli cried as he kneed the zombie in the head, charging hamon right into the vampire.

Amanda may have hated Mr. Zeppeli at first, but he was amazing fighter. He made all of his move appear elegant and easy. Sure, she knew about stands from Josuke, but the way Mr. Zeppeli has used it, made hamon far different from stands. She felt a little envious, all she could teach them was clever tricks that 21st century humans used to not get murdered by ravenous machines. She neither had hamon or a stand.

“A knee full of hamon to the head seemed to have cured this one’s braggadocio.” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

Another thing she was envious about Zeppeli for, was his knowledge of knowing more than one language. She cursed herself for not taking any Japanese lessons with Josuke.

“I don’t believe it, he didn’t spill any wine!” Cried Speedwagon.

“JoJo, you will finish the creature off, destroy the brain, it is the only way. Anything else, and you risk it coming back.” He said.

“Just like a terminator then, I hope...” Amanda murmured.

“What?” Said Jonathan.

“Terminators have brains too, we call it ‘chips’ but I’m not sure if that will help. Usually we would destroy their chip, but before I went back. We fought terminators with apparently more than one. It’s kind of the reason Josuke did not come back.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Said Jonathan.

“JoJo, pay attention!” Cried Zeppeli.

The zombie cried out and grabbed a lever above them. They turned to see the zombie hanging above them. “Time for the slaughter! Naughty little pigs!” The zombie pulled the lever. A passageway opened beside him. The zombie jumped down from the lever.

Speedwagon said the exact thing that Speedwagon was thinking, “Don’t tell me we’re following him into that passageway!”

“It has to be destroyed.” Said Zeppeli. “But we will be doing no such thing.” Zeppeli poured what was left from the broken bottle of wine.

“JoJo.” Zeppeli threw the bottle at Jonathan. He caught it, carrying it very carefully.

“I expect you to finish off this abomination without spilling a single drop.” Said Zeppeli. Speedwagon gasped at the statement.

“Alright, one last bit of advice before you go. There were no Vikings in the land of Norway, until the north wind blew in and created them.” He spoke.

“If even one drop of that vino goes to waste, I don’t care how utterly you defeat that zombie, I will abandon you, here and now.” Said Zeppeli.

“That sounds a bit harsh, doesn’t it?” Said Amanda.

“Silence you! All you have done has been a nuisance!” Said Zeppeli.

“C’mon fellas! This isn’t the time to argue!” Speedwagon whined.

“Me?” Amanda ignored. “I have done nothing but try to help and all you have ever done is doubt me!” She pointed her finger at him. “I was impressed by your little show back there but that doesn’t mean you can just be a jerk!” She cried.

“You know nothing about hamon or vampires! If you had done what I said most of these problems would not have-“

“Alright, enough of this petty bickering! I will be the one to finish him off!” Said Jonathan. “Zeppeli, if you say one more word to her. I will be the one abandoning you! You give her too little credit, she was the one to first defend me, if not for her, I might be dead. For that, I show my gratitude. Perhaps, that is something you should learn.”

Jonathan said as he charged off to defeat the zombie. Mr. Zeppeli looked rather hurt by that statement, but he kept up his fierce appearance.

\---

_“I will do my best. Like the Vikings, I will be strengthened by hardship.”_ Jonathan thought to himself as he walked down the passageway with a torch in one, and the glass in another. 

_“It’s a labyrinth, even with this torch, all it’s doing is casting shadows to bedevil me.”_

A sudden thought occurred to Jonathan, _“The torch! I’m bright as day to him!”_

He heard a sound coming from behind him. He flew in with a large blade structure under him. Jonathan dodged, but his arm had been sliced open. The pain seared him for a moment, which made him almost drop the glass of wine. The zombie then jumped bac into the darkness, laughing a sinister laugh as to warn him. Jonathan tossed the torch aside.

_“All this does is illuminate my position! But without it, I haven’t a clue where he’s lurking.”_ Jonathan looked around him.

_“Or where he is hiding.”_

\---

 _“Even in the dark, I could smell the blood from his arm.”_ Jack thought to himself. _“Even if he manages to find, he is in for a bloody hell of a surprise.”_

\---

_“I must think like my foe, just as the baron commanded. I’m sure he’s close. Next, I must master my fear, lest it sap my Hamon. Breathing is the sword at my hip.”_ Jonathan thought as he walked closer towards Jack.

\---

_“That’s it, just a bit closer. And I’ll be picking my teeth with you and the girl’s bones, boy.”_ Jack grinned with anticipation. His mouth watered slightly as his heart filled with demonic joy.

\---

“Now, if you had let me finish explaining you two, I would have explained the moral of the story regarding the Vikings. I would have told you about the harsh wind blowing down off the Artic Ocean birthed the fearsome Vikings. Only when we are tossed headlong into the crucible of adversity do we rise to the challenge.” Mr. Zeppeli explained.

“What will a glass of vino create this night? If he should fail, that machine has already won.”

“Don’t be too sure about that.” Said Amanda.

“Why not? What do you propose if he fails?”

“From where I come from, time and location-wise. We have a saying that goes, t _here’s no fate but what we make_.”

“Even if the cards are stacked against you, doesn’t mean you necessarily fail. That saying has helped the resistance turn around multiple battles into our favor. Unlike you guys, we don’t believe in fate.” Amanda said.

“No fate? Then what the hell do you believe in?” Said Speedwagon.

“Our own intuition.” She said.

\---

Jonathan had crept closer to the zombie’s position. He then noticed the water in the wine beginning to wave and ripple on its own. “What, the water is rippling? Of course, just like when we were training in the stream. It’s conducting the hamon. It passes through the glass, my arm, my body, then the ground itself!” The Hamon crackled around him.

“I can feel the vibrations in the wine! With hamon, all is made clear to me now! My spirit trembles! My heart is ablaze! I’ve found you zombie!” Jonathan cried out.

He punched the wall in front of him. “These stones offer no protection! Sendo Hamon Overdrive!”

The flow electricity surged through the wall and into Jack, blasting him to the other wall, turning him to ash.

\---

“Sounds like you passed the test with flying colors, JoJo. Excellent. Adversity has made the lad a Viking.” Zeppeli said as complimented Jonathan.

\---

As Jonathan walked, he heard something fell to the ground. Jonathan looked down to see a letter. It looked as though as if it was sealed letter, the emblem of death sealed the envelope.

_“A letter? Why would this brute need a letter for?”_ Jonathan thought.

Jonathan hesitated to open the letter as he worried there might be something within that could harm him. Yet, he could not help his curiosity getting the better of him. To resist the temptation, he had put in his pocket. It was only a matter of time before he returned to the group.

\---

The group had managed to enter the small town of Windknight’s lot, and Amanda could not help but admire her surroundings. Everything about this small sleepy town seemed beautiful. The way that the sun shined down on the water giving it a golden hue, the way the wheat had tickled her skin, and the way the buildings looked as to give her a glimpse of what happened long before now. Yet, there was just something she was unable to completely shake off. There was an odd familiarity about this place. Which was strange, since she had never been here before. The path that the group had tread seemed too familiar to her. She kept asking herself, why? Why would it seem familiar?

There was also something odd about this place, there were not as many people. Everyone had grim or solemn looks on their faces. She hated that look. She knew those looks from the work camps. It reminded her of the lack of hope and despair she felt when she first got captured. Families got separated, people were experiment on, and some people you just never saw again. It was the worst for stand users. She knew some information from Josuke, to say the least. She shuddered one time the way he described what could happen.

_“So these stand users would just disappear? Do you know where they go?”_

_“No, no one does. Which is why it is important you keep this secret, okay? Only a few people here know about stands and we want to keep it that way.”_

_“Why? What will happen to them?”_

_“Let’s just say, if someone outside knew, Skynet knows. Believe me, you don’t want **it** to know.”_

_“What happens if Skynet knew?”_

_“I don’t know. Maybe, stand users would be forced to work on deadly weapons. Maybe they would become a weapon. Or maybe, for Skynet’s sake, their executed. So, don’t tell anyone got it?”_

Those words still haunt her to this day, she wondered how that Skynet facility knew about his power. Maybe she did something, or they somehow managed to hack their radio. She did not like to think about that often.

“Farmers, seeing to the harvest. Thus far, all appears well. Yet, from the locals faces, I can tell something is awry. The vampires’ evil is close by.” Jonathan monologued.

Suddenly Speedwagon cried out in pain, along with a sharp sound of bones cracking.

“What happened?” Jonathan cried out in concern.

“Uh well… Speedwagon has been begging me to share in your power. I meant to help him create just a bit of hamon, as I did that first day with you. It seems I was too rough, did my finger slip? _Un migliaio di scuse_ , my dear Speedwagon.” Said Zeppeli.

“In English please.” Speedwagon begged.

Suddenly, a young boy swooped in from a rope after cutting it, snatching Speedwagon’s suitcase in the process. Amanda dashed over and threw a rock at the boy, causing him to stumble over a bit and fall into the water. He then arose out of the depths of the water, Amanda rolled up the sleeved to her dress and began to chase after him.

“Hey, come back here!” She cried out.

“Our culprit is a lad it would seem.” Said Jonathan.

“His crime was well planned. I salute the boy’s ingenuity.” Zeppeli complimented.

“How come you two are heaping praise on that little imp?” He then saw Amanda swimming towards him. Jonathan was a little surprised but admired her fast wit and determination. “Well, looks like Amanda’s swimming across. At least she has the common sense to go after him! He’s making off with every pound we have to our names!” He said.

“Get that rotten welp, Amanda!” Speedwagon cried out.

“Yes, he took our money, but think how he might be able to help.”

“Agreed. A guide who knows the lay of the land would not be unwelcomed.” Zeppeli said.

Zeppeli then put his hands in the water. Causing a spark of ripple to flow through the water. Baron put one foot on the water, then another. Soon, it appeared like he was walking on water.

“What the? He’s walking on it!” Speedwagon said in awe.

Jonathan took Zeppeli’s lead and began to dash across the water as well.

“JoJo, your shoes are getting wet! Try bolstering your hamon for the sake of your wardrobe!” Said Zeppeli.

Meanwhile, Amanda was hot on the boy’s trail. He began to climb up the side of the cliff until Amanda grabbed his left leg as he climbed up.

“Hey! Let go off me, eh?” Said the boy.

“You gotta give me that suitcase back first.” Said Amanda.

The boy tried to kick her, but she dodged. They managed to fight for a while before Jonathan and Zeppeli caught up to them. Jonathan punched the wall with hamon, as he did that, the rock shook and whole cliff.

“Ahh, that was a nice diminuendo. Your overdrive passed through the rock as smooth as silk.”

“Do you think I struck the right spot Baron?” Said Jonathan.

“No, but a couple of paces to the left should do it. Two pounds says I’m right.”

\---

“I’m going to throw you back down there!” The boy warned.

Amanda had almost managed to reach for the suitcase before the by violently shifted his weight, causing her to fall a few feet back before catching a piece of rock back. She was now approximately five meters under him. Suddenly a loud spark of electricity, the boy gasped as he was blasted back to the ground.

“Huh? Why’d it shock meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee- ah!” Jonathan managed to save the boy.

Amanda pointed from above, looking down at the boy and laughing. “Ha-ha! Now you’re the one down there!” She than began to climb down.

\---

Poco looked around his surroundings at a complete loss. “Huh, what happened? Who are you? Why are you holding me?” Said Poco.

He then looked up on the cliff to notice a girl on the rocks. “And… what is that girl doing up there? She’s going to hurt herself!” Said Poco.

“Lad, are you alright? The fall shouldn’t have hurt you that badly. Did I use too much hamon?” He said.

Mr. Zeppeli gripped his top-hat. “I guess we were meant to give chase when he took our bag. _Look around._ ” The sun began to set.

Jonathan gasped, ”This is… a graveyard!” Hands began to grab at them from the ground.

As Amanda was a few meters away from the ground her face became pale. _“Damnit, this was a fucking trap, I should have known, god damn it!”_ More of the dead began to arise, from above, many vampires circled above from the cliffs.

“It’s no accident that we find held by these restless cadavers, my friends. Our young thief, he was hypnotized and made to lure us here.” Said Zeppeli.

One vampire from above looked down upon them, he gave a smug smile and began to speak, “The machine referred to as Dio has made a deal with us, he asks that the girl known as Amanda, and the man known as Jonathan Joestar come forward. In exchange, the other members of your party will go free, and you will be spared from the impending feast.”

Amanda immediately recognized him as the Chinese man she met in that alleyway from only a week ago. She gnashed her teeth together.

“However, if you refuse this deal, none of you shall remain to see the sunrise. The choice is yours.”

“Look here you demons of the night!” Mr. Zeppeli shouted back at the vampire. “We will not be intimated by your threats. No one shall be sacrificed today!”

Jonathan joined in, “If sacrificing myself will only spare only a few innocents then it is not good enough. I will never agree to such a deal!”

“Are you sure of this? You will never get another chance like this again. What if perhaps, we spared this whole village? Either way, we will have a feast.” The vampire chuckled. 

“Only to doom all of England? I would never!” Jonathan cried.

_“Is the terminator, using this whole town as some sort of bargaining chip? That would not make sense, why would it kill us, and spare everyone else?”_ Amanda thought.

“Come now, let’s be reasonable here. Do you tire yourself of such games? Baron Zeppeli, how long have you’ve been hunting that mask? It must be getting tiresome, perhaps you should enjoy you fleeting moments of mortal life.”

“DO NOT DARE USE THE MASK AS SOME SORT OF TACTIC TO CONTRITION!” Zeppeli screamed.

“I will no longer speak to you on such terms! However, to the mask that allows you to act out your evil hearts, and the metal fiend that guards it, I say only this: this time I break you.” Mr. Zeppeli growled.

“Fine, then have it your way then.” The vampire chuckled.

The zombies then charged at the group. Zeppeli lead the way by knocking on zombie back with a hamon kick, causing it to hit other in a domino-like effect, evaporating all them instantly. Amanda looked around. Her basket remained on the other side of the river. 

Jonathan then told the little boy to hop onto his back for safety, which he quickly obliged to.

She cursed under her breath. _“My basket is on the opposite side of the river. I really need it right now. How am I supposed to get it?”_ She then saw Jonathan with the boy Poco around his neck, he zoom-punched one zombie. The zombie flew back at incredible speed.

“Jonathan, I have something on the other side of that river! Can you back me up so I can get it! It might help us!” She said.

Jonathan turned to Amanda, “Back you up?” He asked.

“You know, cover me so I don’t die?” She said.

Jonathan felt another zombie approach the group, he turned to drop kick, adding another hamon punch for good measure. “Is it too risky considering the current situation?” He asked.

“Do you trust me?” She asked.

“What?”

“Do you trust me?” She asked again.

He hesitated for a moment before finally relenting, he had to trust her at some point. He took a defensive position behind her.

“Thanks!” She said as she swam back towards her basket. The trek back to her basket almost felt like an eternity. Her soaked clothes did not help make her felt less dragged down, when she stood at least two meters away from the basket, a large zombie appeared before her.

“Now, now, where do you think you’re going? Trying to run away?” The zombie asked. Amanda was shocked at the large size of the zombie, it looked to be almost the size of a small boulder.

He went to grabbed but she narrowly rolled away before getting caught. She tried to find where she put her knife, but she felt nothing. The zombie pulled her real close to its face.

“What a foolish little girl! Did you really think you could get away from all of this? Quite quaint aren’t ya?” He laughed. He was about to stick his finger in her neck until a projectile launched all the way from across the river and stuck it in the eye. Hamon flowed through the entire face of zombie, it screamed, dropping her to the ground. She rolled just close enough to swipe her basket to dash across the side of the river.

“Oh dear, I did not think knife would carry that much hamon, apologies Amanda!” Jonathan called out. She simply dusted herself off and smiled.

_“It’s okay now.”_ She thought as she approached the river.

\---

A couple zombies had managed to corner Zeppeli between some rocks. He went to zoom-punch the one in front of him, but an arm grabbed his hand, the zombie growled as its arms burned. More zombies piled on top of him. He surrounded his body in hamon, but more zombies began to pile on top of him. However, he was not about to give up his hopes.

Suddenly a loud boom surrounded him, zombies began to burn around him. They screamed, and slowly began to release Zeppeli. He fought the zombies surrounding him, another tried to hit him, but it was struck by a bottle.

“ _Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnd_ another Molotov cocktail for you!” Said Amanda.

Zeppeli punched the zombie, turning it to dust.

“You, you saved me? How?” Asked Baron Zeppeli.

“Thanks. Don’t mention it.” She said.

Zeppeli noticed an opening behind him that could lead him to on of the vampires. He turned back to Amanda.

“You should probably get that one. I’ll stay here.”

He did not want to her to remain there. However, despite her flaws, and her vexing habit to not follow directions, he admired her relentless determination. Her determination to destroy the terminator was almost as strong as his will to destroy the mask.

“I cannot guarantee your safety, madam.” He warned her.

“Don’t worry, Jonathan will be meeting up with you soon.” She said.

“Alright.” He said as he flew off towards his main target.

\---

Zeppeli prepared his hamon as he approached the main vampire. The vampire caught his fist.

“Solar Hamon, pierce the night! SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!” Zeppeli yelled as hamon went up the vampire’s arm. Suddenly, it stopped, pieces of metal slowly erupted from the vampires skin. This then redirected back into Zeppeli’s arm. His arm then froze, he gasped in shock.

“MR. ZEPPELI, NO!!!” Cried Jonathan.

“While it is true that metal can be used as a conductor of hamon, it is also fitting as a great insulator. With this metal, I have used it to redirect your hamon back into you. I also have released all the moisture from my body, thus causing your arm to freeze.” Zeppeli gasped as he held his arm, slowly falling back to the ground.

“Believe it or not, it was the machine that told us to do this to ourselves. I am surprised to see it as worked as well as it did. If this is how you fare against me, I’m afraid you will never beat my master, or perhaps, my employer?” He asked.

Baron Zeppeli managed to land on the ground. Zeppeli was beginning to become a little unnerved. Zeppeli had wished to attack the vampire again but figured it would be wiser to not approach them again.

Jonathan had managed to finish off the remaining zombies that were unearthed by the vampires. Amanda held out her knife, ready to point at anyone who dared get in her way. The trio had managed to back up against each other, surrounded by the vampires.

“What should we do? These vampires seem pretty tough, and we’re surrounded.” Jonathan said.

“Indeed, it was like my own Hamon was used against me!” Said Mr. Zeppeli, while holding his arm. He then collapsed, Speedwagon picked him up and held his arm.

“Oh no, it’s worse than I thought. Gangrene will take it if we don’t get the blood pumping!” Said Speedwagon.

“Obviously, we need a new strategy. Good thing I’m here to help out.” Said Amanda.

“WHAT? Are you saying you have some sort of plan? Right when we are in the mist of ravenous vampires?” Asked Speedwagon.

“Yeah… but it is definitely not going to be easy. In fact, I’m not even sure if this is going to even work but-” She said.

“Wait!” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“What?” Said Amanda.

“This feels oddly familiar. That freezing ability! Where had I seen this before?” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“Wait! When I was on the roof of the Joestar Manor! That vampire! The same thing happened to me there! Although the vampire was not experienced enough to control it, that vampire did the same thing!” Zeppeli gasped in the realization.

“Wait, this happened before?” Said Amanda. “Oh, I see, I guess the terminator managed to take notice of that.”

“Indeed, but one thing is bugging me. How was that vampire from before able to do it as well? JoJo, you were there! Did you know anything peculiar about that police-man you spoke of before he turned into a vampire?”

“Well, unfortunately, I do not have any recollection of anything about the man, other than he held his gun at the steel creature. I do not suppose that he somehow melted his gun when he became a vampire?” Jonathan asked.

Amanda thought for a moment. “Wait, why would the terminator be interested in these vampires’ powers? What did it see before the violent episode at the manor started? Wait, would it be possible that the terminator is using the vampires as test subjects. Observing their powers somehow? Is that why it wanted the vampires to hold of on the town? Are we being used as some sort of bait? That still would not explain why it is somehow working with the vampires. What else is it offering them for them to follow it?”

Amanda then whispered to Jonathan _, “Do you think it’s possible that one of us could run away?_ ”

_“Run away? Amanda what in the heavens do you mean?”_ Whispered Jonathan.

_“I was thinking if one of us could run away then we could see what they trying to do from afar. Then, the rest could follow in that direction to lure the vampires into a trap of some kind.”_

_“Well, Ms. Amanda, that would require something to trap the vampires, how will that work?”_ Asked Jonathan.

“Hmm, you band of misfits seem to be taking quite a while. How about we tip the scale into our favor?” Said the vampire as the ground began to rumble.

“We call upon you Tarkus and Bruford, to rise from the dead and avenge your queen! Then you will fight among us!” The vampires chanted.

Jonathan let Poco down, “Poco! Get to safety!” Jonathan commanded. Poco nodded, running towards the main group.

“Wait what is going on, JoJo?” Amanda asked.

“No Miss, don’t you will end up getting hurt!” Jonathan cried. Then for some reason, she felt the ground raise, Amanda looked around confused as to what was going on. Speedwagon looked on in horror.

It was only until Amanda heard menacing laughter that she realized what was going on.

Another vampire came from the rocks, he was brown-haired man who looked to be around his forties, he seemed to have been some sort of nobleman. “Here arise the casualties of a ruthless queen! T’was the mid-sixteenth century, that these warriors fought for Mary, queen of Scotland!”

Amanda rolled her eyes, _“Oh, come the fuck on, that’s not fair!”_ She thought.

“Heed us oh mighty warriors, arise to fight once more, destroy these humans! Destroy them as you will!” The vampire commanded.

Tarkus grunted, he began to shatter the boulder.

“Tell me I’m dreamin’, that big one broke the boulder with a single finger!” Cried Speedwagon.

Baron Zeppeli looked above as Jonathan and Amanda fell, “They are waiting for JoJo and the girl, they are the main targets!”

Tarkus and Bruford looked at Jonathan and the girl. Jonathan fell and steadied himself to the ground, catching Amanda before she fell.

The vampires turned to them.

\---

Zeppeli looked back at them both, how could they manage to survive? What was worth, that little girl had to be caught within the midst of it. He looked at his arm.

“Jonathan is a warrior, but he can’t handle both of them! And Amanda, she has never fought such creatures before!” Zeppeli grunted. “If only my blood would start moving a little bit.”

“Then what Baron?” Said Speedwagon.

“Then I could heal my arm a little with Hamon! How am I supposed to thaw this damnable thing in time?” Baron asked.

Speedwagon looked back to the others in that moment, he could sense the dire hopelessness of the situation. He looked back at Mr. Zeppeli.

“If it’s heat you need, Speedwagon’s feeling right charitable this evening.” Speedwagon held out his arm.

“What? So, you have a plan then?” Mr. Zeppeli asked.

Speedwagon pulled Zeppeli’s arm to his chest, causing him to flinch a bit from the cold, this caused his arm to heat up.

“In a pinch I’ll figure this will do ya!” He cried.

“You selfless idiot!” Said Zeppeli.

“I heard they treat frostbite in the artic, by cuttin’ open a seal, and sticking the frozen hand or foot into the poor blighter!” Speedwagon cried out.

\---

Tarkus then charged towards the group.

“Zoom punch!” Cried Jonathan. Amanda steadied herself, hold her knife behind her back.

“I, peasants. Give me your blood!” Hair then wrapped around Jonathan’s arm, other hair then wrapped around Amanda’s ankle. Blood then slowly drained from them both.

Amanda winced, then thought to herself, “You know what, if I ever get back, I’ll never complain about being chased by a HK ever again.”

“His hair! He’s using it to feed on me!” Jonathan cried.

\---

“Speedwagon!” Zeppeli pleaded. “You don’t have to do this!” Mr. Zeppeli had been surprised that Speedwagon was so willing to aid a comrade. He thought he would just run, but he was wrong. He did not run when they fought against the terminator. He was wrong about the girl too. Maybe, maybe he let his own ego get in the way before he saw what other were capable of.

“With all due respect, I’ll be buggered before I let harm come to you or JoJo while I can lend a hand!”

\---

Jonathan and Amanda were slowly being drained of their blood. Amanda looked back to Jonathan with pleading eyes. “So, do you have a plan to stop these guys from sucking up all our blood?” She asked.

“Well, If he can drink my blood through this, then perhaps it will serve as a conduit for my Hamon as well. Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!” Jonathan cried.

His hamon tried to charge through his hair, but that only ended up doing nothing at all.

“Huh? Nothing happened? Have I already lost to much vitality to make my Hamon effective?” Jonathan asked himself.

“Alright, I’ve had enough of this!” Amanda then attempt to cut the hair with her knife only for more hair to wrap around her hand, causing her to drop the knife.

“Foolish child! No blade can cut my macabre locks!” Bruford said smugly. 

“You know what, running from an HK may not sound that bad anymore.” Amanda thought to herself.

\---

“I may have sold you short, Amico. I thought you would run when things go truly dire. Over the past week, I have only considered my own capabilities, and not that of others, mi dispiace.”

“Baron if we live through this you me are as right as rain.” Speedwagon said.

\---

Jonathan struggled to break free from the hair, but then the tall one pulled out a large sword. Amanda looked at it, it could practically be its own terminator unit if it were alive. She got a closer look, it was probably a couple feet taller than a T-600, and those units were practically eight-feet tall in her eyes.

\---

“I need to get my arm working! There’s no way they can take them in that state!” Mr. Zeppeli cried out.

“Eyeballin’ that sword freezes me up worse then you just did. JoJo’s well over six feet tall, but next to that thing he might as well be Tom Thumb! Look at the face on that one! And that one! He’s the bleedin’ minotaur! I can read people like a book, and these two are full of stories Speedwagon don’t wanna hear, thank you kindly.”

“These men are your worst enemies!” The brown-haired vampire said. “Mighty and ferocious! I had heard of these men! I suggested to the metal man that we can use this sacred place for revenge! He kindly agreed!”

\---

Amanda looked back at the vampires above. The terminator definitely had an ulterior motive. What reason would it have to let the vampires taunt them? “This must be some sort of fucked-up experiment that its concocting.” Amanda thought, “Earlier it was so deadest on killing us all. That mask must have changed everything for it. It wants to know more about the powers of these vampires. Why else would it let the vampires drag on like this? Shit, that mask really is bad news. If it knows all the mechanics about the mask now, it will spell disaster for the resistance in the future. Skynet will definitely find some way to control these things, fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, shit, shit.”

Apparently, Amanda was also not paying attention as to why these two knights were upon them.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Amanda asked.

“So ferocious in life, so horrifying in death! May ye old warriors of yore fight your freedom! We pay to thee our respects!” Said another vampire.

Speedwagon gasped, “That hate they felt when they died, it had 300 years to ferment! These vampires have turned the flower of knighthood into vengeful monsters! Keep your wits about you!”

Jonathan took a deep breath.

“Hamon within me, come to my aid!” Hamon then pierced through his hand, he punched his arm. “Scarlet overdrive!” The hair then loosened it’s grasped, he then went over to Amanda.

“Wait, what are you doing, whoa, whoa, WHOA.” Jonathan then punched her shoulder, the hair released it’s grasp on her.

“Well, that feels weird going through your system.” Amanda added.

Zeppeli gasped, “Ah! Look at that power!” Zeppeli cried.

“He’s looks so calm! But I know they ain’t far from his thoughts, all that he’s lost, and what he’s rediscovered. Godspeed you brave bastard!” Said Speedwagon.

“Me thinks this boy is a champion of his day.” Said Bruford. “He shall make the perfect target on upon which to practice the art of war. However, the girl, after we dispose of him, she will be nothing.”

A zombie then lunged at Amanda. Amanda screamed. “These ones flesh belongs to me!” It cried in delight. Oh yes, their cartilage is sweeter than wine! Especially this young maiden’s!”

“I’M GONNA CARVE YOUR BRAIN OUT MOTHERFUCKER.” Amanda replied, trying to aim her knife into the zombie.

Bruford then appeared behind them. “They are our foes, get thee gone from here you glutton.” Bruford said as he clawed the nose of the zombie. It whimpered, releasing the girl.

“Do not think of this as chivalry miss, after he is gone. You will be the next to go. On an added note, I maybe your enemy, but spare me of the use of foul words. A woman such as yourself should not be using them.” Bruford remarked before turning to the vampires.

“Are you fucking kidding me.” Amanda thought.

Jonathan gasped. “He moves with infernal speed!”

“My current masters! I do sense a great reservoir of spirit. I humbly petition thee for the right to face him in sole combat alone and strike him down.”

“Proceed.” Said the vampires in unison. They then vanished behind the rocks.

“Tarkus! This one here is mine! Take the girl and guard the rest of them!” He commanded.

His partner, Tarkus agreed, flinging the girl over, she then fell into Speedwagon’s arms. Speedwagon fell back with a grunt.

“Hello.” She simply said.

Speedwagon pulled her down.

“That- that’s Bruford, the black knight. He was known to be a flawless fighter, and he was utterly devoid of mercy!” Said Zeppeli.

“Just watching him put one foot in front of the other, I can tell he’s no one to tangle with!” Said Speedwagon.

“Back in my school days, we learned about this man, he and Tarkus. And now, he returns from the dead to kill me?” Relax your muscles JoJo, breathe steadily, no matter what!” He said.

Bruford then lunged at Jonathan with both hands behinds his back, confusing Jonathan.

“He’s got both hands behind his back. Bruford is giving nothing away. Wh-Which one is his sword arm?” Jonathan thought.

Bruford then used his hair to strike at Jonathan.

“No, but how- ARGH” Jonathan was then blown away by the sword, bouncing back before falling into the waters behind him.

“You’ve a keen eye my boy.” Said Bruford. “My hair’s Danse Macabre has claimed many, have at thee!”

Amanda and Speedwagon called out to Jonathan as he fell into the water.

“Oh no! He’s at a serious disadvantage! With no air to breathe means no Hamon! We have to help him!” Zeppeli said before Tarkus appeared behind them, they all gasped.

“Aw come on! Give us a small chance, JESUS!” Amanda yelled.

“What? Now this brute!” Mr. Zeppeli growled in annoyance.

“Damn, he needs us. And we can’t lift a finger to save him!” Speedwagon yelled.

\---

As Jonathan sunk underwater, Bruford then put the sword back into his sheath. He looked down at Jonathan with a slight bit of pity. There was no way this mere mortal could manage to beat him in this state. He could tell by the way he clutched his throat that he was struggling to hold his breath. Still his armor was quite heavy, and underwater it could become quite the annoying obstacle.

“Go, boy. Make for the surface if you can. I suffer not for the want of air, but my armor leaves me sorely encumbered under the water. A duel of heroes. If your lucky you can beat me to the top!”

Jonathan gurgled in response, why must he still resist? Although a mighty hero, this fool might end himself due to his own pride.

“Come. You’ll drown if you tarry! Act, and quickly!” Bruford urged him.

\---

“Can I make it? Or will I just get dragged down to my doom? I get one chance.” Jonathan thought to himself.

A thought then occurred to Jonathan in that moment before his own death. There was no way he could die now. Not when so much was on the line. If that girl was a messenger of humanity’s future fate, he must act to never let that happen. He already lost so much, there was no way humanity will share that fate. It is not enough to stop these vampires but stop the source of humanity’s problems as well. So that is why he swam deeper into the depths of the water.

This, in return, surprised Bruford.

_“What’s this? Danny’s grabbed a hold of your toy pistol and won’t give it back? You’re trying to take it away from him. That’s the reason. Change your strategy. Try giving it to him instead.”_ Jonathan remembered what his father said to him. In many ways, he thanks his father for this message, as without it, he would not have had the mind to realize the solution. Instead of going up, he must go with the flow of the water, deeper down.

Jonathan began to think, “Windknight’s Lot, it’s a coal mining town. That means collapse tunnels and sunken earth.” He then noticed a bubble underneath the rocks.

“There! If I’m right, there should be trapped air trapped beneath these rocks.” He grabbed one of the rocks and began to pull, air began to rise. He put his head inside the bubble to take a breath. Hamon then generated throughout his body.

Bruford looked on in bewilderment, “That’s impossible!” Perhaps he had underestimated this one’s power.

Jonathan thought to himself, “Prepare yourself, servant of evil. The tables have turned! Down here! My hamon will hit you harder!” Jonathan prepared himself to generate a shot of hamon.

Hamon then shot towards Bruford who then gasped.

\---

As the group expected Jonathan to be dead underwater, there was a noise, then a rumble. Suddenly, Bruford shot up from the water onto the land. Jonathan emerged from the crystalline waters that gifted him his hamon.

“He did it!” Speedwagon cried. “Bravo!” Zeppeli commended. Amanda stood in complete amazement. She began to think that Jonathan’s future descendants must have gave Skynet some sort of hell if Jonathan was THAT hard to kill. 

“That was amazing!” Poco said in amusement behind the rocks where they could not see.

\---

Jonathan then realized that his struggle against Bruford was not. Event though Bruford was pushed away by the impact, he managed to dodge the hefty amount of Hamon that he shot at him. It only grazed off his forehead by a mere fraction.

“Now I know anything less than a solid punch won’t be enough to send the hamon into him!”

Bruford then looked at Jonathan with a devilish glare with his hand covering his head. Then, he gave Jonathan a devilish smile.

“Masters! I thank thee for this life anew, that I may duel with this stouthearted lad! My heart would swell to bursting if it still beat! In blood and deed, he is the stuff of heroes! Now we will fight in our native element! It is by mastery of our arts and strength of our spirits that we wage this duel!”

Bruford felt the excitement rushing through his veins. If he won now, nothing would hold him back, not even that damnable queen. As far as he knew, she would rot in hell.

“Bare your soul. Hold nothing Back, lest you not survive this moment!” Bruford called to Jonathan.

He then lunged again at Jonathan. Jonathan stood still. He knew what would happen. He would strike him with his sword once he was tied down. Jonathan was as calm as ever. He realized that he could conduct hamon into the sword after returning Amanda’s knife. It would be easy.

“When I best you! I will take your head as my trophy!” He roared in pride.

“Its easy to let your hair do the work. Come, withstand my Hamon face to face like a man!” Jonathan roared in return.

“Overdrive barrage!” Jonathan screamed as his hair then became tangled with Bruford’s hair. His plan was coming together. Although, he would not lie to the truth that his hair stung. Bruford then threw him against a tree. Bruford then tied him around the tree.

\---

His teammates look on in horror. “This is terrible! Hamon can only be conducted through the arms and the legs. With his arms bound in front of him like that, he has no way of blasting through that infernal hair of Bruford’s!” Said Zeppeli.

“I- I wanna help him out but you and me have got things even worse! I think ol’ Tarkus here fancies a dust up!” Speedwagon replied.

Amanda looked on in worry, he knew he must have had some sort of plan. She just hoped that she would carry it out soon.

\---

Jonathan cried in agony as the hair pierced deeper into his flesh. He yearned the chance for Bruford to strike with his sword as a parched man in the desert yearns for water.

“Bid your petty life adieu! Behold, the coup de grace! I’ll take your head and bathe in a fountain of life-giving blood!” He cried out in joy.

It was the moment Jonathan was waiting for, “Take this!” Jonathan screamed.

He broke his legs free as he used his leg to shoot a large wave of Hamon into the sword then his arm, that melted like snow.

“What a brain!” Speedwagon commended. “Using the sword to hoist Bruford by his own bleeding proton. Who thinks of that?”

“Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!” Jonathan cried out as he barraged Bruford with his fists.

“There we go that’s it! About time we heard the welcome crackle of Hamon!” Said Speedwagon.

Jonathan readied himself to strike again, although it felt different hitting him this time. Though, he will end him, he’s nothing more than zombie. Though, if he felt pain, he might have to reconsider. Bruford struggled to get up. This meant nothing to him, though, he begged Jonathan to strike him. He dared him this was the second life he dreamed of. If he could once again dance in heaven, he would see Mary. If not, he would see Elizabeth writhing in agony in hell. Though, he felt a different spark of passion within him, something that birthed when Jonathan hit him.

“He’s still dangerous mate, look out!” Said Speedwagon in alarm.

He went to strike again, yet JoJo remained calm. He remained still, like he did not care about Bruford’s next attack. Why? Why would he do this? Would he die just to satisfy him? No, he could not do that. He could never do that. He stopped, barely missing Jonathan. A small bit of blood rushed down Jonathan’s cheek.

“A moment ago, you said that this pain is nothing. That means pain is something you can feel again.” The flowers began to bloom around them. Why, why did he stop. Perhaps, there was something that Jonathan had said, or done that reached him so deeply. He perhaps, understood his pain, left by centuries of betrayal. It overwhelmed him, causing him to collapse. Why? What purpose would it be to kill Jonathan now? He has given him everything, something that his newfound masters could not offer.

\---

“You see? The long-forgotten pain come back. Only human know that sort of ache.” Said Zeppeli. “Observe, my dear Speedwagon. His zombie body succumbs to the Hamon, but his noble soul is redeemed in the process.”

\---

“I could sense the good in you that’s why I did not try to dodge. You could have killed me just now, but you have stayed your hand.” Jonathan said.

“You stood there like a statue, ready to take the fatal blow. Oblivion beckoned, but you put your trust in me. Your faith in human goodness is rare.” Bruford coughed.

“Once I have railed against the pain I feel. Now, going to my rightful end, I cherish all that proves me human. It gives me joy.” He continued. He then remembers the times he cherished with his comrade in the safety of Mary’s kingdom. The sweet and noble subjects that waved them by.

“The embers dull within in me, but I am tranquil. There is no bitterness left. What Irony to live yet again. Dying with thanks on my lips, for the very man who slaughters me anew.” He felt as though death was calling. He could he her now, _she_ was calling.

“I shall return to my one true master.” He smiled.

“I would know of the name of the warrior who bested me. Would you kindly do me that honor?” Bruford asked.

“It’s Jonathan Joestar.” He replied.

“Sir Jonathan, I leave you this sword, given to me by my precious queen and the word engraved upon it. _Luck_. But first. Let me affix my own benediction. _Pluck_.” He said softly.

“Sir Bruford.” Said Jonathan in concern.

 _“Come now, noble warrior, you have earned your place with me in the stars, rest.”_ She said.

Bruford smiled, fading to dust as fell.

\---

“Go you to your rest. Let no one doubt that you have earned it, Bruford.” Jonathan said.

“Why? Why did I have to strike him down to redeem his soul? He died once before with hate in his heart, his spirit was still pure. He returned not out of choice, but dragged above by its evil, the mask’s evil! These vampires! Those devils! Who knows how many more lives they will drag down with them! I must send them to hell before the end of dawn!”

“JoJo! He’s right behind you!” Speedwagon screamed.

“Tarkus!” Jonathan yelled. Tarkus only smiled, smashing his comrade’s armor into bits.

Bruford was given another chance for revenge but he let his petty weakness overcome him. However, Tarkus would not share the same fate.

“You villain! That was the armor of a steadfast friend and comrade. He died with honor and dignity!”

“He died like a spineless dog!” Tarkus scoffed. How could Bruford, that idiot, succumb to the charms of a human nobleman, who did not know of his pain. Who did not die in agony like he did, hell to that pain. He would show his friend in hell how to properly avenge his queen. He should have just thought about his queen, none of this would have happened. He should only take pleasure in the slaughter of his enemies. That was what he deserved by thinking too much into his woes.

“He was too clever by half, liked winning his fights with thinking. I just hit em’ till they fall to pieces! What use have I got for clever? I carry a sword as tall as a man. None of you will get an easy death.” The other approached Tarkus. 

Tarkus struck the ground cause it to shatter. Poco noticed the damage was rippling towards him, he screamed as the ground fell under him. A hand then reached out to save him.

“JoJo, nice catch” Said Zeppeli.

“Hey, weren’t you supposed to get to safety?” Amanda said.

“Well, I uh-“ Poco was interrupted by the roars of Tarkus. His footsteps caused miniscule tremors as he approached.

“The ground is crumbling!” Said Mr. Zeppeli. He then took note of the dead leaves under him.

“These dead leaves, JoJo!”

“Yes sir!”

They both breathed in, ‘LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!”

The rock was then imbued the leaves with hamon as Tarkus charged towards them. He growled in anger. He was then shocked to see what they did with them.

“Hurry, Poco, Amanda, Speedwagon! Grab on!” Amanda and Poco jumped onto Jonathan’s back while Speedwagon clung to Mr. Zeppeli. The gang managed to fly away safely.

Amanda then figured how they managed to create the leaf-shield, well, sort of. “Humans have a magnetic field, right? Oh, I get it you used it to make this leaf thing, and now you are using it as a kite how clever!”

“Wow!” Said Poco.

“What? You mean to tell me you understand how this works?” Said Speedwagon.

“Hmm, you are wittier than I have taken you for Ms. Amanda.” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“Bye!” Poco laughed as he pulled down his pants and slapped his butt. Amanda giggled.

Amanda’s mind began to wonder to a happier place, “Wow, I haven’t had this much fun, in sense, sense… no, don’t think of that now.” Amanda repressed a memory. She had to, that memory was tainted.

“We’re flying! I can’t believe it, I bet your magicians, huh? You’d have to be, right?” Said Poco. How did you learn to do all these neat spells in the first place?”

“Damn good question. I’ve been watching ‘em do it and I still pinch myself. Oi Baron, what’s the story? We’re not going anywhere. How on earth did you pick up all this mumbo jumbo?” Said Speedwagon.

Amanda looked onto Zeppeli, she might have known what he was going to say.

“Many years ago, my travels took me to India. Where I discovered a mysterious man. He called himself a doctor, although he was very young and lacked all the tools of the trade. Little did I know, he was more potent of a medic than I’d ever encountered. He took a gangrenous limb in his hands and healed it with light from within. That was the day I learned of Hamon. I’d been looking for something with which to fight the stone masks evil, and in hamon, I’d had found it. Eager to learn, I’d crossed into Tibet, and up the Salween river in search of he who had taught the young healer. His name, was Tonpeti.” Mr. Zeppeli then fell silent for a short moment.

This for whatever reason, struck a chord within Amanda, it really was him. She never thought she would get to see him face to face, but there she was. Then, she knew what her fate meant.

A deep windy howl echoed across the valley.

“Baron? So that sound? That’s part of Hamon doing it’s thing yeah?” Speedwagon asked.

Jonathan groaned, “Hardly.”

“Look out It’s Tarkus!” Poco screamed!

Tarkus lunged from the sky.

“He’s insane!” Cried Mr. Zeppeli. “Leaping from that height, just to give chase to his foes!”

Tarkus attempted to swat the leaves with his hands, only for it to burn him, causing him to fly back.

“There’s a goodly amount of Hamon holding these leaves together, you brute. Painful to the touch for the undead.” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

Amanda then looked down at the castle below. For some reason, it seemed, familiar? Too familiar for her taste. The whole time, this town, it was way, too familiar. What was it about this place made her recognize it?

“What’s that?” Asked JoJo.

“That’s where the knights used to train in the olden days.” Said Poco.

“Wait, how did you know that?” Asked Amanda.

“Leap to safety everyone, before we get swatted out of the sky!” Jonathan cried.

Everyone jumped off, Amanda braced for the fall. Her heart felt like it dropped way down past her stomach. She never like heights, nor rollercoasters. Before Judgment day, it always gave her this feeling, she hated it. Fortunately, everyone managed to jump to safety. Tarkus, on the other hand crashed into another part of the castle.

“Crazy blighter. He just slammed himself straight into the tower.” Speedwagon commented. Amanda then got a closer look at the castle, touching the ground beneath her.

“Yes, and thank your lucky stars that he did, Speedwagon. Unlike their masters, these zombies cannot regenerate, so that should be the last we see of that beast.” Said Zeppeli.

“Wait, I remember this place.” Said Amanda.

“Wait what? How could you remember, you are from the far distant future.” Said Jonathan.

“I remember it because this is the place I came here to. I came back here from Windknight’s Lot. Although, that’s not what we call it in our time.” She said.

“I, I didn’t recognize at first, because the whole place had been up-ended in my day, this place is hill, and not valley like it is now I- can’t believe it was here…”

Suddenly, Zeppeli heard rumbling from a far distance. He turned to see Tarkus rising from the crash. “WHAT?” Asked Zeppeli.

“How did? He should be mincemeat!” Zeppeli said.

Tarkus gave Mr. Zeppeli a devilish grin in return. “Even in death, he has a will of iron. How does his body endure such punishment?”

“He’s climbing up!” Speedwagon said warily.

“We can’t destroy the horrid machine while that monster dogs our steps. It seems we have no other choice, Tarkus meets his doom here and now.” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

Zeppeli then pointed at Jonathan, “JoJo, this will be perilous, get the lad to safety from within.”

Jonathan then cautiously opened the door, sweat began to pour down his head, anticipation grew heavier on his shoulders. Something, something had been off. A strange mist flowed from within.

“This door. Something’s odd about it.” Warned Jonathan.

“Be careful, this is where the knight used to train to kill people.” Said an ever cautious Poco.

“Wait! Jonathan! It could be a trap!” Amanda attempted to warn Jonathan, however, Jonathan cautiously crawled within.

“Yeah, they say it’s full of booby traps.” Poco said.

“Wait, how do you know all of this?” Amanda asked the boy

The fast drag of chains could be heard from within. A large chain from the shadows lunged at Jonathan like a ferocious scorpion.

“Duck JoJo! Something’s coming at ya!” Speedwagon warned.

A large chain then wrapped around Jonathan’s neck, dragging him into the darkness.

“Damn it, not again.” Amanda thought.

“JoJo!” Mr. Zeppeli screamed.

The door then slammed shut behind them.

\---

“Who ensnared me?”

Jonathan had been dragged towards the sky, barely missing his head against the ceiling. He looked down to see Tarkus staring back at him. He finally caught him, was it so ironic that they found themselves back into his home lair, the dark abyss he was accustomed to. Now he has the upper hand, he knew every inch of this labyrinth, and he would be happy to give this man a tour.

“Yes, caught you good.” He giggled with devilish glee.

“You’re fleet of foot, little man, but now you and me are chained to each other. You got nowhere to run.” He threatened.

Tarkus continued, “I killed 48 men here. Taking a life’s an art form and I’m the master.

\---

Zeppeli continued to madly punch the door until his knuckles bled. Amanda knew it was practically pointless opening the door, so she tried walking around. If they only had a terminator’s strength. Or a stand perhaps. It was probably some sort of iron door, and she knew from her day, the terminators could practically tear through iron like it was nothing more than paper. A small then managed to catch her eye. In her day, she was taught that if you want to beat the enemy, you must know your enemy, and the enemy, always found a structural weakness.

“That’s enough. You can’t punch through it, that door is solid iron.” Speedwagon said, hastily attempting to strain Mr. Zeppeli.

“Goodness, he’s battered his knuckles bloody against it.” Poco said in alarm.

“Hamon is very versatile.” A tired and weary Zeppeli continued, “But it’s meant to be used as a rapier. Not a sledgehammer. Bricks I could beat to a powder, but this door is too strong. JoJo faces a darker dilemma, that chain around his neck is more than ripple energy can overcome.”

He then saw Jonathan being flung to the ceiling, he could tell that there was no practical way Jonathan could get out of this one. “JoJo!” Mr. Zeppeli cried.

“No this is all so frightening I think I wet myself.” whimpered Poco, “This village was safe until these men arrived. I’m in danger here. You need to get away from all the fighting on the double Poco.”

“So you’re just going to leave us?” Amanda approached him.

“What, me? Never!” Poco blushed.

“Well, from what I heard you’re getting scared.”

“I. I AM SCARED!”

“Look, I get it, all this is troubling. However, we need to get through this together otherwise…” A loud bang could be heard in the distance. “We’re next. Believe me, you don’t want to be next.”

“I see a lever, Baron Zeppeli. No telling for certain, but I think pulling on it will open this door.” Said Speedwagon. 

“Fighting Tarkus is daunting enough task as it is, never mind doing it fresh out of a battle with Bruford.” He clasped his hand into a fist. Come hell or high water, we must find a to get in there and help him.“

“It’s locked up tighter than a nunnery!” Said Speedwagon.

“Hey kid, I see a small opening over there. Seems like the we’re the only ones going in there.” She said.

“What? You mean, you want us to, to go in there? Why both of us? Are you scared?” Asked Poco.

“Sure I am, I just thought if we’re fighting together, you wouldn’t have to do this alone.” She said as she held out her hand.

“Blast it! We could batter this door to Judgement day till no avail!”

**“UMMMM.”** Said Amanda

Everything fell silent for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Said Zeppeli.

“Wrong choice of words Zeppeli, we have one of understanding Judgement day, but to Amanda it is hell of a lot worse.”

“Wait, why would Judgement day offend her so much?”

“IT WAS A TERRIBLE DAY, MANY PEOPLE DIED. THE EARTH BECAME PRACTICALLY A WASTELAND!!!”

“Oh... my apologies.” Said Mr. Zeppeli.

“Anyway, back to the point! We’ll have to use the cliffside entrance that Tarkus used!”

“But that’ll take too much time, time that he don’t got!”

Poco began to shake but Amanda held his hand. “Hey, it’s okay.” She said.

“I know, but we’ve have no other choice.”

Speedwagon slammed his fist into the wall. “ALWAYS ON THE BLEEDIN’ SIDELINES!”

“C’mon!” She said.

They both then crawled towards the tiny space. “AMANDA! POCO!” Zeppeli screamed.

“Aw, not again Amanda!” Said Speedwagon.

“Look! I appreciate your heroics Amanda, I really do. But is it necessary to drag the boy into this? He’s just a young lad!”

Amanda simply ignored them, there was something she had to do.

\---

“How did you know that I would be brave enough to do this? And what is with all this ‘terminator’ nonsense?” Poco asked as they climbed up to the tunnel.

“Ok, that’s a long story, and second, you got something to lose if that thing wins, don’t you?” She asked as she pulled him into the tunnel.

“Well, I, have a sister, and this is my town.” He said.

“Oh that’s why you know this place, I see.” She replied.

Now that they were both in the tunnel they began to crawl. “What’s your story, Emily?” Poco asked.

“It’s Amanda, and that’s also a long story.” She said.

“Well, even though we are doing this together, I thought we would know each other a bit more, ya?” He asked.

“Ever since this started, I have not stopped thinking about my sister, and what would happen to her.” He asked.

“You’re brave, you would make a good resistance member, Jonathan too.” She added.

“Uh thanks?” He said. “So, you had a plan, yeah?”

“Yes, I see we’re almost approaching the end so listen closely. I’m going to be bait for the guy. While he’s distracted you pull the lever, got it? All his attention will be on me.” She said.

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Well, to be fair, everyone thought I was crazy. But I won’t let you get hurt. I’ve got nothing to lose, you still have something.” She said.

“You, you lost something?”

“Someone I cared for very deeply.” She added.

“Anyway, we’re here, I’m going to go. Once he has his eye on you, pull the lever got it?” She asked.

“Wait Amanda!” He called back.

“Oh, and don’t worry about being scared, I used to be just like you.” She said.

“AMANDA!” Poco cried out.

\---

**Northern California 2018**

It was a long day, four children were playing underground in a sewer, that had managed to travel miles away from the closest human base. A little girl was getting tired.

“Hey Amanda, look what I found!” Said a little boy with blond hair.

“It better not be another rat. I hate rats.” Replied a little girl in a ponytail in annoyance. 

The boy giggled. “What no! I found something even better!” The little boy then pulled out a pistol.

“Sam! Where, where did you get that?” She said worryingly.

“I dunno, someone must have left it here.” He said.

“You picked it up? You know the rules Sam! We’re already way too far from the base! What if those robots find us?” She asked.

“They won’t.” He giggled. “Not when I have this by my side!” He aimed the gun around recklessly. “Don’t point that at me! You might kill me!” She screamed.

“What, your scared of a little gun? Pew Pew!” He taunted as he pretended to fire a bullet.

“No, Sam, stop this isn’t funny.” She pleaded.

“Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Boom those robots are dead! Pew!” He giggled.

“Sam stop! You’re going to hurt someone!”

“What’s going on?” A hooded boy walked up to the group, he was slight taller and more lean.

“Sam’s got a gun!” Amanda cried.

“Sam! What the hell? Gimme that.” He said.

“Aww, c’mon Jack I wasn’t going to hurt anyone!” He said as he attempted to hold onto the revolver. The hooded boy tried to take the revolver away from him.

“Oh really? What if you fire a round? You know those things can hear us!” He said.

“But I want it! That John Connor guy looked so cool with it! He kills so many bad guys, I wanna be just like him!” He said.

“First of all, that’s because he knows what he’s doing, he’s the leader. I am also the leader, so give me that!” He said as he snatched the gun away from him.

“We took a big risk traveling this far from the base, and I am not going to risk losing anyone here.” He said.

“You’re no fuuuun.” Sam whined.

“Sam, pleas listen to him.” Amanda said.

“Sorry, but rules are rules kiddo, I’m the leader. You can play hide and seek or play cards, but this is going too far. Besides, you don’t even know where this had been. Could have been soaking in a pile of shit.” Jack said.

“Well, you’re a pile of shit!” The young boy called back.

Jack turned around, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me! You stink like shit! That’s why John Connor is better than you!” Said the little boy.

“Look, kid, we’re in a sewer, we all smell like shit.” The little boy paused and began to cry. 

“Oh no. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. God, Angie’s going to kill me. Look, I’ll make it up to you. You can have my rations when we get back-“

“NO! I WANT TO BE JOHN CONNOR! JOHN CONNOR SMELLS NICE AND HE’S BETTER THAN YOU! HE ISN’T MEAN LIKE YOU!”

“Well, John Connor wouldn’t want you to act like a spoiled brat right now, wouldn’t he? Now shut up! It’s time to go!” He said.

“NO!”

As they began to walk away, the boy then ran up to the older figure. “I WANT THAT GUN! I WANT TO BE JOHN CONNOR!”

“KID STOP, WHAT THE HELL?” A bullet then ricochets across the sewer. A girl in a long braid ran up to the group.

“I heard a gunshot, what happened?”

They both looked at her with a blank stare, “Well, what happened?”

Large thumps then echoed across the sewer.

“Did you hear that?” Said the braided girl.

“See, now they know we’re here! This is all your fault!” The hooded boy screamed at the kid. He then began to sob loudly.

“No, that didn’t sound right, that sounded like it came from up north. The base was north wasn’t it?” She said.

The thumps grew louder.

“Wait, that can’t be right. Those things wouldn’t have known- shit. We got to move, now!” Said the hooded boy. The children then ran around a corner, then another. They kept twisting and turning. They kept running further, and further into the darkness. Until they bumped into a live T-600. They all froze in fear. The hooded boy hesitantly fired the pistol, metal ricochet off the unit’s emotionless face. It grabbed the pistol out of the boy’s hand.

 **“RUN!”** He screamed as the giant machine slapped him upside the head with such force it knocked him into a wall. He collapsed to the ground, the look on his face sent a shiver down Amanda’s spine, he was practically lifeless. He then let out a soft moan.

“Jack! JACK?” She called out.

“AMANDA RUN!” The braided haired girl yelled as she pushed her away and the blond-haired boy away. They both ran, a girl’s screams followed behind them.

“Elizabeth!” Amanda yelled. She wanted to go back to them, but she knew that practically meant death if it did.

As she began running fast down the dark hall, she looked around one more time, she then noticed the little boy was not with her. “Sam? SAMMY? **_SAM?_** ” She repeatedly attempted to call the little one, but he never showed up.

The thumping grew loud again, she was sure that thing was coming back. She had to do something, when she went down a tunnel, another T-600 met her on the other side. She tried to run back, but it grabbed her arm.

“WHA? HEY!!! LET ME GO!!!” She screamed.

The terminator simply ignored her, she tried hitting it, but it was just too hard. It stared at her with a demonic intensity. It grabbed her face and examined it intensely. She felt a horrid dread fall upon her, she knew what happened to those who were not killed by the terminators. She would overhear the horror stories from the older children who lost their younger siblings, even parents.

 _“If a terminator did not attempt to execute you on site, it usually meant that you were going to a work camp.”_ They would say.

 _“How bad are the work camps?”_ She would reply.

They never really had an answer, that’s what made it all the worse. Either they did not nor, or they did, and the answer was to gruesome to tell. She could only hope that whatever they needed a child for, it was not for any experiments.

It then flung her down on her face, she tried to get up, but it pinned her down with her own arm. Its hands were cold, too cold, and extremely uncomfortable to the touch. She could tell it was clasping something around her wrists, a restraint. If she was not positive before, she was now. She was going to the camps. It then pulled up to her feet, it was almost jarring. For something so huge and cumbersome it was quite agile.

It grabbed her right arm and began to walk with her, she could hear more screams in the far distance, it meant they captured more. It must have been. It did not say anything, but it forced her to move wherever it wanted. Once they got to the surface there were more children and adults in restraints. She tried to wriggle her way out of its grip, but every time she did, its grip became harder. She attempted to sink to the ground or kick at its leg but then it only grabbed both of her arms and pushed towards the group. It was so hard it began to hurt. It was like a cobra wrapped itself around her arm. Everyone was being forced into some sort of vehicle that she could not describe. Although it was big and held seats from the inside. It let go of her and forced her into a line. Two other T-600 stood guard on each side near the entrance of the vehicle.

When she approached the entrance into the vehicle, a smaller, leaner terminator looked down at her. It looked at for a short while then approached her, it grabbed her hand and forced her into a seat. She looked around, two more seemed to be in this weird vehicle as well. An adult tried to run off and break free, only for a terminator inside the vehicle to shoot him on site. He collapsed to the steel grey ground, painting it red with his blood as it spilled out from his back. The man groaned and whimpered. A T-600 went up to the man, he removed his restraints, and then crushed his head. She turned from the gory site, she could feel her stomach getting riled up.

The entrance to the vehicle slowly lifted, entrapping her in a cold darkness.

\---

**A Few Weeks Later**

After several days of being transported to God knows where, she ended up at a prison like facility, once taken inside she was separated and lined up with several other children. A woman approached them, she looked at her in total despise, she was probably a grey. She wanted to say something, but she feared it would be instant one-way trip to the afterlife if she did. One of the smaller terminators followed her from behind.

“Hold out your right arm, now.” She commanded.

Amanda reluctantly held out her arm. The terminator approached the first, he looked to be around sixteen, grabbing the arm very carefully, a weird laser then appeared out of its hand. It soon began to imprint a strange barcode on the boy’s arm. He grunted in pain, the terminator let go, and he held his arm. Amanda looked at him a bit closer, she then realized she recognized as the one who stay on guard duty when Jack wanted to go play. Although, she never got his name.

“What the hell was that?” He asked.

“Do not speak unless you have been given permission to.” Said the woman.

He wanted to say something back, but then soon realized that would not be wise. So, he went back to standing, holding his arm tightly. The terminator then did this with the other children, Amanda soon realized it was her turn. She closed her eyes and winced in pain. Once it held her arm, it began to imprint. She bit her lip, it stung, stung worse than anything she felt before. Once it was done, she looked back at her arm, her arm was red, agitated. It was a long barcode, whatever it was. Although, she was scared, she was at least curious as to why it was doing this.

Once they were done, they were brought into what looked like a prison courtyard. They were all lined should-to-shoulder. The woman began to speak,

“This lovely little place used to be known as Green Dolphin Street Prison, but now, it is referred to as Skynet Workcamp #44. You, my little children, are here because Skynet wants to know something from you. If you just comply, these nice robot friends of mine will let you go. However, if you refuse to give Skynet any information, well…” She giggled. “Well, may Skynet be merciful.” She said.

“If that’s the case then Skynet must be fucking stupid.” Said another teenager.

“Oh?” She replied.

“Most of the people here are children you fucking bitch, how the fuck are you going to get shit from children? Besides I don’t know jack shit about anything, if I were-“

“Well, well, well, it seems we got our first fighter.” She said as she walked up to him.

The other children watched in awe at the spectacle, some looked on in terror.

“I wasn’t done talking b- HRNNGGGH” The sound of electrical crackles could then be heard.

He convulsed on the floor, shaking. The children saw a terminator behind them with a taser.

“What else do you have to say?” She added.

“F- fuuuuu-“

“Oh, what? Well, from what I heard, you doubted Skynet’s logic? Oh, silly child. You must be one of the children that the resistance told their plans to.” She said.

He gurgled a bit more, but she continued. “You see, the human base that you lovely little children lived in was very close to one of Skynet’s bases! Although not officially affiliated with the resistance, you guys talked frequently with them, didn’t you? Well, there was something of major value in that base that Skynet could not lose, ever, no, no, no, no, no! We overheard from one of your frequencies that one of the children was a wee little resistance spy, who had been telling the leaders about Skynet’s little item. Because you know how children are! Cute, tiny, unsuspecting resistance spies! Oh, I forgot to tell about the best part! Not only did this child tell the leaders of the little base, but other children as well! I assuming they were plotting use the children in some sort of way, weren’t they? Oh, no wait. I’m sorry, that was not the best part! The best part is that child also had a plethora of other wonderful information about the resistance, lucky for Skynet! I’m suspecting they must have been _really_ close, if these fellas picked you of all things!”

She then put her foot on the boy’s arm, he groaned, “Now I may have my doubts, but was it you? Hmm? Are you the spy? Are these darling little children here your buddies?” She asked.

“Whu, what? No- I’m not, I’m not the-“

“Not the spy? Oh, ho, ho, ho, darling! Your little stunt has made you the prime suspect! Now I must wonder, who is the fucking idiot now? You? Or the resistance who decided it was very reasonable to use a child as a spy! Because now that child will endanger the entire resistance, funny that!” 

Amanda’s chest became heavy as she looked down at the ground. Sweat began to beat down her face.

“Alright fellas, take him away!” She cheered on gleefully as two of the smaller terminators picked the boy up and carried him away. A little girl with red hair was struggling to not cry, she was trembling and shaking.

“Oh, goodness. I must have frightened you, didn’t I? Well, that’s enough for today!”

“Although I leave you with a warning, you have two weeks to confess whatever information you have about the resistance, spy or not. Oh, and one more thing, everyone who enters this facility does not stay for long, can you guess why?”

The children remained silent, “Because, well, let’s say all those who come here, don’t make it out alive. Or, they get sent to a place more vulgar than this one. Tootles!” The woman walked away in a kiddish skip. Amanda was not sure whether to whether to fear the robots, or this woman and her oddly religious devotion to Skynet. She probably was not a _grey_ , but a _red_ that people would speak of.

“It nearly killed all of humanity and is still continuously trying to murder us, why they hell would you worship it?” She thought.

The children were then ushered to small room with five bunk beds. Amanda figured it used to be an office space that was cleared out. The terminator behind them then shut the door and locked it.

 _“You all will be removed individually, either to maintain nutrition levels or for interrogation. Do not resist.”_ Said a distorted robotic voice.

The terminator then walked away.

“What, what’s going on? What are we going to do? Are we going to die?” Said a young black girl with a bow in her hair.

“I, I dunno.” Said the sixteen-year-old from before. He then went to the child and hugged her.

“All I know is that we will all get through this together. No matter what. I love your hair by the way, it’s so pretty.” He said.

“My mommy did it for me, it was the day when the robots took me away from mommy.” She said.

“Those robots are evil, aren’t they?” the girl nodded.

“Anyway, whatever you do. Do not tell anyone here about anything. Forget what that mean lady said, she’s lying. Do you understand?” He said.

All the children nodded in agreement. Amanda sat on a bed, she clutched her knees to her chest, was she going to die? She couldn’t really tell anymore. She wanted to believe the older boy, but she just wasn’t sure.

\---

Two weeks later

_“Hmm, that boy seems really nice isn’t he?” A woman taps her fingers on metal table._

“No! Please! This is a mistake don’t kill me, I swear I don’t know anything!” She begged the two terminators as they dragged her away.

_“Of all the children I never thought you would be the hardest to crack! You’re one of only two who has yet to confess.” She continued._

_Amanda remained quiet._

_“Well, from the looks of it. All the confessions have made our own little John Connor the prime suspect. So caring, took care of all the children, told them exactly what to say. Now that only leaves you.”_

“I SWEAR I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING PLEASE! I DON’T WANNA DIE! PLEASE!” They continued to drag her down a dark hallway.

_“I bet you were close to him before, weren’t you?” She said as she pulled out a picture. “I got rare footage of you with him.” The picture showed the taller boy whispering something into her ear._

_“So what juicy gossip did you share? A break-up? A fight? Or perhaps, resistance plans. Because, I don’t know about you, but resistance plans are the best gossip to me.”_

_Amanda looked at the photo intently, “I don’t know what your talking about.”_

_“Oh, well look at that! Our first words! We’re making progress!”_

_Amanda looked away._

_“You know what the children told me? This boy use to be on guard watch when four little children went out to play. As you know, naughty children who stray, get taken away right? Did you not fear what your elders would have done to you?”_

“NO! NO! NO! NO! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME! OOOOOH GOD!” She screamed, twisting and turning. They held her down.

“Do not resist.” Was all they said.

_The color on Amanda’s face slowly started to drain, he was the spy. “What were the names of your friends if I might add? Jamie, Jared, Jason?”_

_“Jack.” Amanda replied._

Amanda was being dragged out to another empty patch of land, it led down to a tiny little shack, or what she assumed was a shack. Wait, did she just see something?

_“Jack, huh? Well, from what I heard this boy, and a boy named Jack were reeeeeeeeally close. He also had his only little group too huh. So why don’t you confess now?”_

_Amanda looked away, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’d never do that to a friend.”_

_“Oh so he was your friend then, huh? Then you admit it.”_

She got a closer look, she thought she must have finally gone crazy. It looked like some guy with a pompadour. He put his lip to his mouth. Amanda looked down, then looked up again. As she figured, she must have been hallucinating.

_“What, no, I didn’t mean.” Amanda stammered._

_“I’ve heard enough, you know what to do with her boys.”_

They entered the shack, the terminators then commanded her to face the wall with her hands up. She did as she said, she could hear the whir of an P-gun. She anticipated the shot, she anticipated to fade into darkness, until suddenly,

“DORA!”

**_BANG BANG BANG BANG_ **

Amanda turned around again, she saw the terminators lying on the floor, distorted into a strange position, slowly crawling away from a tall man. As he got closer, more weird distortions appear on their combat alloy. It was almost if, they were attacked by some sort of invisible ghost. The terminator twitched a bit before its red eyes went dark.

“Come with me if you want to live.” He said in his attempt to give a serious and commanding voice. The look on face on the other hand was that of childish glee, like he always wanted to say that for whatever reason. She recognized as the same guy before. His weird pompadour looked even large in person. She was curious how he could maintain such a weird hairstyle there wasn’t really a society to provide him with hair gel anymore.

“Uh… am I dead?” She asked.

“No, kiddo, even better. We’re breaking out of this joint. You and your friends.” He said as began to walk out. Amanda pinched herself, nope, not dead.

“Wait what? Really? Who are you?” She asked.

“My name’s Josuke Higashikata, you?” She noticed talked like an American, but he had a slight Japanese accent.

“Well uh, Josoko, it’s Amanda.” She said.

He then began to burst out laughing.

“Wha, what’s so funny?”

“JOSOSKO! HA! Never heard THAT one before! Man, you Americans are something. It’s Josuke.” He said as he opened the door, light shown upon one of the units.

“Hey, I didn’t notice this before but, does that tin can look weird to you?” Josuke asked.

“The- the terminator?” She asked.

“Yeah, usually those suckers are pretty big. But this one, it looks different, it’s smaller, kinda looks a bit more human.” Josuke said as he stared at it intently.

“Well, yeah, I know it’s kinda weird. Why did you ask?” Said Amanda.

“I dunno, I normally just punch them until they go down.” He said.

“But you didn’t punch them-“

“Anyway let’s go, Cloud-boy’s forces are going to be here any minute.”

“Wait.” She said.

He turned around, “Yeah?”

“How can you face those things? Aren’t at least scared?”

“Me? Scared? Nah, listen, Skynet is just a big bully who got mad that someone spilled coffee on one of his mainframes. Are you going to let that bully beat you down.”

“Well, I- no!” She began to laugh.

“Now that’s more like it!” He said as he rubbed her head. She giggled in response. She felt relief, it’s been a while since felt that in anyway.

\---

“Look at me now Jouske!” Amanda cried out in glee. Jonathan’s heart dropped. She was brave for being heroic like this, but she could never survive the likes of Tarkus. Jonathan pulled on his chain.

Tarkus growled in annoyance. “DO NOT INTERFERE YOU BRAT!” He said as he smacked her across the room.

“AMANDA!” Jonathan screamed.

Amanda stammered trying to get up. “It’s fine Amanda, you’ve been through worse. B-Be Besides, they’re just bullies anyway, All- All bullies.”

“HOW DARE YOU, YOU WRETCHED CHILD?”

He went to slap her again, only for Jonathan to again pull his chain, he then heard someone scammer by.

“WHAT?” He asked.

Someone then pulled a lever. He turned to see that the other child had pulled it.

“I, I DID IT!” Said Poco with glee.

Zeppeli then swiftly opened the door.

“So, you lured me away so that the boy can pull the lever, how clever of you. But, I will not make such an err again.”

“Get him Baron! GO!” Said Speedwagon, “Give that hulking bastard the what-for!”

Zeppeli then stared down at the hulking beast of a giant.


	8. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) Part 2: Memories of Windknight’s Lot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations get revealed about both parties as Baron Zeppeli faces the consequences of a changed fate and his future. On the other hand, Jonathan shows off some skills he learned from little Amanda. Although, the path they are leading, will it really help them in the end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Sorry again for being so late! I am just going to leave this here for you! College has been super stressful so I thought I post this now. Also, the last chapter of this part is coming soon. So you know what that means! *winks*

Zeppeli had dreaded the very moment this would happen. He knew that this would come for him eventually. The worst part is that he was still recovering from the death of Sir Park. He did not show it in any way, he had to train Jonathan, they had to find the machine, but there was never a moment for him. Zeppeli felt bad for Mr. Henry L Park, he never had a chance to fight along side him. One moment, he was accompanying him, and the next moment, he perished. Zeppeli wished that the murder machine would have chosen him in his place, he would have at the very least, expected it. Since, he knew this time would come. If he had died on the night of the party, there would have been someone to take his place. He could still remember the first time he had met him.

There had been time that Mr. Zeppeli had been scavenging in Scotland before arriving on the shores of England. Mr. Park was a simple businessman, who seemed to have a rather, large amount of misfortune. He did not dream of saving such a man when he was attacked by a vampire, but it would have been less than noble to leave him to die.

There had been rumors of a rogue zombie, an outbreak Edinburgh, perhaps. That is where he had found the poor fool.

“No! GOD PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!” A voice cried from the shadows. Mr. Zeppeli saw what seemed like a zombie approach a man on the ground. The vampire looked to be a small girl, not possibly older than the age of 12. She had a limp, so she somehow sustained an injury.

_“Please. I’m hungry sir…”_ She spoke softly.

The man tried to run away, but the little girl lunged at him. Mr. Zeppeli almost hesitated, he did not want to kill a bambina. He was too far away to use normal hamon techniques as well. Yet, he had no other choice.

He opened a bottle of vino, he was a little concerned, as he had not practiced this trick as much as he had when he met Jonathan. Yet, he took a deep breath and shot out the wine cutters. Like clockwork precision they had managed to hit the target. The girl wailed before hitting the ground. The man shrieked as blood bathed his coat.

He calmly walked up to the girl. “Forgive me, little one.” He said as he grabbed the child, imbuing hamon into her body. She gave out a deafening screech before finally dissipating into ash.

The man, horrified by the massacre in front him, simply asked, “How did you do that?”

Baron, at the time, did not want to answer, but he answered simply, “Hamon, my good fellow. It is a technique used by the ancients to best demons of the night.”

He simply thought that the man to scream, accept what he heard, or run away. Instead, he replied, “Can you teach me?”

Again, he did not want to answer. At that moment, it was probably better if he did not know. Although, the fact that a small girl was turned into a ravenous zombie concerned him. What creature, no, what devil would have transformed such a small child into wretched beast? He had to know, and it was best if he had a partner to accompany him.

Wait, would his master approve such a thing? The hunt for the mask was a very private, very intimate secret shared amongst him and hamon users. The common populace should not know of such a thing, it was too dangerous. It could his enemies an edge at best, and at worst, create a whole new army of vampires. An army, that he, would never be allowed the privilege to exist. His mind told him no, it was the right answer, the responsible one, yet his lips deceived him.

“If I… teach you hamon. Would you, be willing to die? Would you be willing to risk such a life?” Zeppeli had surprised himself with such a question. It was like his words had said aloud his mind did not want others to know, better yet, a stray business man.

The man nodded in return. “That, child, I assume. Never wanted to be a demon, did she?” He shot up.

It was then the two went off in the night, it was like a spell or some non-verbal agreement. He had only hoped that his master, Tonpeti, would not bring wrath down upon him. Oh, how could he forget of his dear master, Tonpeti?

It dragged his mind back further in time, to the day he had told him of his future.

“For three years, you have survived, and endured our training. You can run for unimaginable distances, and not be short of breath. Soon you will be ready to begin the intense training that we call the Celestial Gate. But I warn you again, Zeppeli. If your choice is to continue with these teachings, you will be sealing your fate. The time to turn back is now. You’re young, you can start a new life.”

The young boy simply scoffed, “Master Tonpeti. Read me the waves of my life. Tell me how long I have?” He reaches out his hand.

“When is this life of mine going to end? Where does it end? How does it end?” His master looked in concern.

“Why do you want this knowledge?” He asked.

“I believe there is a purpose to my life. One that I cannot set aside. I need to know so that I can fulfill my purpose. If I know how much time I have left to accomplish it, then I can accept the outcome. I will accept it.”

His master turned around, “So, let it be done, If that is what you want to believe.” He reached out his hand, and they touched. Sparks flew from their hands, it was like a supernova of sorts.

“In an ancient chamber, hidden from the light and reeking of death, a child shall open the way for you. To unchain a young lion and release him into the future of his destiny, you will burn your wounds. Then freely will you open your arms to the cruel death at awaits you.” 

However, there was something that master Tonpeti, had kept from young Zeppeli. The death, that Zeppeli had thought of, would not be his physical death. Although, he was right, that a cruel death had awaited him, a much crueler, much more suffocating death

\---

“Baron Zeppeli, be careful my friend.” Warned a weary Speedwagon. Poco ran up to Speedwagon in that moment for comfort, as he too, was frightened. 

Zeppeli took a deep breath, had steadily approached Tarkus.

A worried thought echoed through Jonathan’s skull. “Can’t budge this collar. Strange, for some reason Tarkus has yet to make a display of his tricks for fighting in this room. That worries me.”

“Come to me fools. You think your hamon will do any good?” He asked. He got closer.

Tarkus mocked him. “What, you afraid? Gonna soil yourself?” He charged.

“You little bugs can’t lay a finger on me, no matter how hard you may try!” Tarkus took swings at Mr. Zeppeli, each he missed gracefully. I was like being a performer in a ballet, each move by Zeppeli was performed was grace and beauty.

“Masterfully played Baron!” Complimented Speedwagon.

Zeppeli than kicked himself into the air, “Here we go! How about this? TORNADO OVERDRIVE!” He screamed.

“WATCH YOUR BACK!” Warned Jonathan.

“HE’S ATTACKING FROM ABOVE?” Zeppeli asked.

“NO, ZEPPELI! HE’S ATTACKING FROM BELOW”

“What do you know, your both right!” Shouted Tarkus.

“I call it, ‘Hell heaven snake kill!’”

Jonathan croaked, as someone was wrapped around the chain, as the chain was pull, for some strange reason. The wrap around his neck did not tighten. He had looked above to see that a knife was caught amongst the chain, blocking it from going any further. He looked from below and gasped in horror.

Tarkus chuckled, “Lovely watching you suffocate!”

As the chain, tightened its grip, a croak was heard. Speedwagon whimpered, the chain grew tighter, until Speedwagon wailed bloody murder.

Zeppeli looked around in confusion, he was on the ground… he was… fine? He had felt something push him away, causing him to fall to the ground. It was only until he looked above him did all the color drain from his face, all dread fell upon his shoulders, and all knots tightened in his stomach.

Tarkus looked on in confusion for a moment.

He looked above, to see that the lovely girl Amanda, was ripped in half by Tarkus’s chain. 

Zeppeli quivered, before he, himself screamed in agony. Not in any physical pain, but an uncomfortable shock. As if, some force had struck his very brain, filling his whole mind with pain. 

“Jo… Jo…” Was all the words he could whimper from his mouth. Amanda’s upper-body fell, he had managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

“Wha, wha, why?” Was all that he could croak. As Jonathan fell to the ground, he noticed the knife that was carried by that girl, fell to the ground as well. It somehow, blocked the chains, would that mean, Jonathan was still alive? The knife fell to the ground with a thud. The only question he could ask, was just how Amanda managed to precisely throw her blade at that angle. Nonetheless, how did she manage to survive such a blow by Tarkus?

She looked at him and smiled. “Be-before Judgement- ACK, day. My mom, t-told me of a story of a girl who s-saves her grandfather, from, ACK, but at th-the cost of her own de- death. Drowning in a lake, because a- a witch cursed him for-“ She gasped. “entering her- forbidden woods, his fate was supposed to be- sealed. It- was said he wore a hat like yours. I-I… never understood the story, until, until I got older. Now that I know, it was a… prophecy?” She was struggling to breath, Zeppeli trembled. Still, she managed to soldier on.

“The truth is, My name… is… Amanda Zeppeli.” She spoke. Mr. Zeppeli gasped, he began to tear up.

“WHHHATT! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT AMANDA IS ONE OF ZEPPELI’S OWN KIN?” Speedwagon cried out in shock.

“At first, I did not recognize you, until you told me about your encounter with T-Tonpeti. It, it was then I knew, you, you were my…. great… great… great… grandfather.” She said. Zeppeli hands shook, his filled with tears to the point that his vision got blurry.

“You, mean, mean to tell me that you were one of my descendants, _m-ma-my familiare_?” He asked softly.

She smiled, “As a resistance fighter -the most vital thing- is ensuring- the lives- of your- comrades- even if it means- your- own life… You still need to… fight… gra-grandpa- I’m sorry- I- caused- you- trouble.“ The girl took her final breath, before the life in her eyes finally lost the luster of life they once had.

This was the universe’s punishment, as death was too fair for Will A Zeppeli.

Tarkus looked on sternly. “As you ordered, my masters, they are both dead.”

“THIS BLOODY SAVAGERY IS UNBELIEVABLE.” Poco held Speedwagon closely, as he too, was horrified.

Jonathan managed to breath, slowly, wincing, as he held up his head. He was not dead, his hamon, his breath, had not left him, it was like shock had frozen him in place. He felt numb, he could not even feel the collar around his neck anymore, only dark fog, like a noose, choking his neck. It was not there physically, but he could feel it closing in around his soul. A brave young girl, died, in the most brutal of circumstances.

“HNNNGH. Even with a broken neck, you have the poor taste to still be ALIVE?” Tarkus growled in rage.

It was only until Tarkus noticed the knife on the ground, he became infuriated.

“AT LEAST THAT ROTTEN WRETCH OF A WOMAN HAD THE DECENY TO PERISH! AND TO YOU I SHALL DO THE SAME!”

Then, Tarkus’s chains pulled him into the sky. He felt that he was going, higher, higher, and higher.

“I-Impossible. Y-You can’t do this.” Said Tarkus.

Jonathan, still lying on the ground, saw Baron before him, pulling in Bruford’s chain.

“B-Baron?” Jonathan asked?

“Do not worry my student, when I finish him off. I will heal you.”

“But, Baron, how can you-“ Speedwagon asked.

 **“I SAID I WILL FINISH OFF THIS FUCKING BASTARD, GOT IT?”** Zeppeli snapped at Speedwagon. Jonathan, got a glimpse of Mr. Zeppeli’s eyes, as they were filled with an animalistic rage that shook Jonathan to his core. Not even that machine shook him as much as Mr. Zeppeli did at that moment, and it was not something to dismiss. Jonathan did not even know where such blind rage came from. All he remembered was that Amanda split in half before he fainted. What could have happened since then to put him through such rage? Baron never gave any sincere care towards the girl.

“Didn’t you say that you had the key to Jonathan’s collar, yes?” Tarkus looked down in awe, however, he did not relinquish his pride.

“What makes you that I would just give it to ya, ya weasel?” Tarkus sneered.

Mr. Zeppeli just looked at him, and cocked his head, as if he were thinking. Tarkus saw something change within the man, the fire in his eyes, seemed to be passionate, but in a dark way. He then yanked the chain, Tarkus’s head smacked against the top, he felt the chain then lower, only to be smacked again. Then, it happened again, again, and again.

_Clank, clank, clank, clank._

Jonathan did not know how to respond, as if all movement ceased. He wanted to say something, but that too had been taken away from him. He wanted to scream but it was all too much. He lost his father, and now this kind girl? What did he do to deserve such wrath and vile towards him?

_Clank, clank, clank, clank._

“Alright Zeppeli, I think he understands your message! So, release him why don’t ya?” Cried Speedwagon. Zeppeli continued the repeated motion, it was like he was ignoring Speedwagon. Or, in such a state that he did not realize he was even there. Tarkus groaned in annoyance, how dare he be treated like some sort of court jester?

_Clank, clank, clank, clank._

“Hey Zeppeli! I think that’s enough!”

The motion grew with intensity.

_CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK._

Jonathan balled his fists. He was not going to allow such savagery to continue.

“ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!” Tarkus shouted, Zeppeli only growled in response.

_CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK._

“Baron, stop this at once! I do not know what has caused you to be consumed by such rage, but this has gone too far!” Jonathan shouted at him.

_CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK._

“BARON, THAT IS ENOUGH! I WILL NOT SAY IT AGAIN!” Jonathan shot up, filled with a new brimming spirit of courage. He will not allow Amanda’s death to be avenged in such a matter, it was too unnoble.

**_CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK._**

 **“I SAID STOP!!!”** Jonathan screamed as he grabbed Zeppeli’s hands.

Zeppeli turned to him, Jonathan could feel an odd rage radiate from his body, it was almost overpowering. His eyes, they were dark, but lit with some sort of perseverance, no determination.

“Stop, Baron, please.” He said softly.

Mr. Zeppeli’s teeth clenched, his hands loosened slowly, tears streamed down his face.

“Do, do you want to know what Amanda told me before she died Jonathan?” He said.

Jonathan looked at him with only confusion, “No, I I- don’t.”

“The stubbornness, the blind heroics, the selflessness, the determination, why did I not realize it before? How could I not know it before?” He whimpered.

“Zeppeli?” Jonathan asked.

“Amanda, said that she was, she was a Zeppeli.” A look of shock overtook his face.

“I, I know that she was not the most lady-like, but she was fighting something, something we could not even begin to understand. She fought and died like the heroic soldier she was. Even if her manners were subpar, she was a Zeppeli. She, she was still _familiare_.” His grip loosened a bit more.

“Zeppeli, does that mean that… that you had children?” Jonathan asked in confusion.

Mr. Zeppeli looked down, he did not want to cry, He could not bare himself to cry.

“Zeppeli. Let go of the chains.” Jonathan said.

Zeppeli, in that moment, slowly released the chains to Jonathan, but suddenly. Tarkus began to laugh, it was not his usual demonic laugh, but a genuine laugh. It felt almost too sincere.

“Well, well, well, guess I caught the wrong bug.” He kept laughing. Jonathan looked on in awe.

“I have to hand it to you Zeppeli, in the moment, you seem to be more ruthless than I, I have to commend you on that.” He said as he continued to laugh.

Zeppeli wanted to say something in return but Jonathan stopped him. “Tarkus, if Zeppeli lets you go, will you allow me to retrieve the key?”

“What? Just so you can just walk away freely like a drunkard cheery man??? Sorry, but I would have to say that a proper fight would be a fine compensation! Although, I have been quite entertained by this Mr. Zeppeli fellow. You fight like those pesky gentlemen types, just like Bruford! However, that Zeppeli fellow has proven to me that is more align to my tastes, he enters a battle and enjoys the carnage!” Zeppeli was taken aback by that comment, he felt rather insulted. How dare he be compared to the likes of such a brute?

“He does not stop to think once! I rather enjoy that! If I want a bloody battle I would rather do it with him!” Zeppeli, tightened his grip on the chain, he whiffed up a deep breath of air.

“ZEPPELI! DON’T!” Jonathan screamed. A heavy stream of hamon flew up the chain like a vein, all the way up to Tarkus’s collar. Tarkus gurgled, his body began to dissipate.

“Heh, heh... that’s more… like it…” He said before finally dissipating, his armor, along with the chain, fell onto the ground. Mr. Zeppeli released the chain, the metal cracked against the ground so hard it made a tone that rung across the chamber.

“I’m, sorry… JoJo… I’m sorry you had to see me like this. I- I did not know what got into me.” He said as began to stumble before kneeling on the ground.

“Go, take the key. I’ll ask in return, is that you leave me here.”

“What! What in the blue hell is going on here! Zeppeli, what has possessed you? First, you lift Tarkus like a sack of turnips, and now you just want to stay here? Why?” Asked Speedwagon.

“I SAID JUST GO! LEAVE ME HERE!” A small silence fell upon the room, choking everyone in thick clouds of tension.

“If… I can stay… just for a short while… I just, simply wish to not leave this place, like this…” He sighed.

Poco looked on in confusion, what was he supposed to do in that moment. The girl he had fought with died right in front of him. He almost wished it was he who was knocked back by Tarkus, and not her. Speedwagon hated to do this, but he reluctantly obliged,

“Come on, boy, I think we’ve seen enough.” He said as they slowly walked away.

\---

Unbeknownst to them, Amanda was still breathing, at least for a short while. She could not move, speak, but only see what happened in front of her. She felt guilty for her ancestor to go in such a rampage. Still, her comrades needed to live, even it meant dying herself. Although, she felt like she still needed to do something. A man slowly approached her, she recognized the boots, those were… Josuke’s?

_“Come on, Amanda, I think it’s time we should leave.”_

_“But, but Josuke. I-I failed. Look what happened!” She began to tear up._

_“No, you didn’t fail Amanda. You won.”_

_“What?” Amanda asked._

_“Because of you, they have an extra fighter on their side. In fact, we kind of need Mr. Zeppeli to live.” He said._

_“You, really mean that?”_

_“Don’t worry. You have told them all they need to know. Now come on, I heard that Bernadette found an old pack of cookie mix at base. Want some?”_

_“Yeah, sure.” Amanda smiled as she reached out for his hand. She felt her soul leave her body._

_Amanda smiled, she reunited with Josuke. She began to fly away, watching the castle grow ever so smaller into the horizon. She was felt with a new sort of hope._

_“Wait, but grandpa! Or, great-great- you know what, there is something I want to say to him before I go!”_

_Josuke simply nodded, “Okay, but don’t stay too long, I’m getting kind of hungry.”_

_She returned to the old horrific chamber. She saw Mr. Zeppeli look at her corpse, clutching it. Softly crying to himself. She hugged him._

_“Don’t be in despair grandpa. You still have people worth fighting for, go, help them.” Zeppeli looked around in confusion._

_“Amanda?”_

_  
“Bye… Bye…” She said as she left…_

_“I’ll miss you…”_

\---

Jonathan walked reluctantly to pick up the key, he felt disheartened. Like, he did not deserve this victory, if he could even call it that. Sure, he could say that he would be grateful that his master survived, but at what cost? Jonathan then sighed. How could he be the one to mourn? Zeppeli had unknowingly met his own descendant, only for her to die right in front of his eyes. What sort of justice is that? He also remembered someone from the manor that also perished. He could see, for only a sliver of a moment, a look of horror and disgust upon Zeppeli’s face. To rip a man’s heart out, is so barbaric. There was no notion of nobility or justice within these machines, only an unquenching thirst for bloodshed. Jonathan picked up the key, it was cold, and rough in texture.

Soon, he removed the collar from his neck, he rubbed his shoulders, as they felt sore. Even with the removal of the collar, he did not feel any weight lifted from his shoulders. It was a different weight, crushing and unbearable. He would rather wear that collar for the rest of his life than bear this soul-crushing weight. To think that if these machines win, all of humanity would be driven to extinction. He will carry on Amanda’s duty at the least, and make sure that this machine will be eliminated for good. For Amanda’s sake, for humanity’s sake.

Wait, a key? That letter. An idea began to form within JoJo’s mind.

\---

**A few days before entering Windknight’s Lot**

“What? Why in the bloody hell would you want me to put this metal into my own body?” the vampire snarled in annoyance.

The terminator spoke calmly, “Even though I have been with you for only a few days, I have been carefully analyzing your race. It seems there are secrets to yourselves that even you do not know.”

“What? What in the devil would that mean then eh? That I should put this metal in me? What bloody good would that do?”

“You could decline if you wish, but it would greatly boost your combative abilities. In a sense, it will greatly reduce any damage caused by hamon.”

“Alright, but you better not be pulling my chain.” The vampire then injected himself with pieces of steel and iron. After a while, the metal shards began to multiply around his body. The vampire looked on in confusion. Suddenly, the terminator grabbed his hand, shocking him a bit, but it was only a minor prick.

“Oh, I think I get what your meaning now, metal man.” He laughed. Another vampire stepped forward.

“Do you really think that the combination of stopping our blood-flow while infusing ourselves with this metal will make us victorious in battle?”

“Correct. If you manage to strategize and stay together, your chances of success will be greatly improved.” It said firmly.

This has been the third night that the terminator was in cahoots with these vampires. It needed them so that it could slowly patch build up its energy. It was practically easy for the machine to become some sort of “leader” to these vampires. It seduced them with knowledge and certain types of blood, and in return they allowed it to gather more resources for it to enable its plan. Although, there was something that grew within it. It was always giving itself a diagnostic test. To see if something was wrong, but there was not. This thing that grew within it, was like an itch, or an urge. It wanted to test the vampire’s capabilities further in the battlefield, it was like a curiosity. It also noticed other strange instances within itself. It began to feel things, not in anyway that could be described as an emotion, but it was at the precipice.

“You seem to have greatly improved our skills, Dio.” Said Wang Chan.

“Why do you keep referring to me as Dio? You seem to be already aware of the fact that I am a mere imitator that terminated the real counterpart.”

“Well, you do share his appearance. Apologies, it appears I keep thinking that Dio and you are the same.” He chuckled softly.

“You follow me because I share his appearance? Are you aware that there is no real obligation between you and me. It is true that I do offer services in return for your aid, but you could refuse them at any time. I never made a promise.” It was not a lie to say that, in fact, the terminator never really promised anything. It just so happened that the vampires were willing to stay due to the alluring ideas it suggested. Although, they might have only thought about the consumption of blood at the time.

The man simply smiled, “At first I was not aware that you were an imitator. Although, I was moved by your language. The idea to use a simple pen to poison a man, at a party, if you were successful. You could have eliminated that Joestar and pinned it on another man. Then you would have sought for whatever you were looking for and inherited their fortune. So theatrical and appealing. It was only until that pesky girl got in the way that your plans were foiled. In fact, that sounds more cunning then the Dio of years past could have thought. For that, I admire you, imitation of man. I want to see what you evolve into, and not to mention, I have you to thank for my eternal life.”

“You feel as though you have an obligation to me?” The vampire nodded.

“Indeed. Without your knowledge, your guidance, I would have never obtained this power. I could only imagine what your kind could achieve in the future. Since I am no longer human, I have no qualms helping your kind advance your goals.” He said.

“What if I were to say to say that after the elimination of humanity, Skynet would terminate your kind next?” It asked. It almost wondered if it realized that it was just using them. Of course, it was. Vampires were no better than the humans, when humanity dies, they will be terminated as well. Although, it almost gave a second thought to that idea though. 

“From that question, dear imitator, it feels like you almost do not want to take such an action. I would highly doubt your kind would come to such a conclusion. Your kind is clever and cunning enough as it is, they can just as reasonably conclude that we are no threat. Besides, our kind will live on after the death of man.”

“Death of man? What if we do manage to terminate humanity? Will it drive your race to extinction as well solely because your primary source of energy has been depleted? Would it be more suitable to enslave humanity?”

The vampire laughs again, “Why, that thought never occurred to me. Kind of embarrassing. You know that sounds like a better plan. I assuming that is the next step, after we kill those human bugs.”

“Not yet, there is something that you should do first. Beside your training, it will also greatly increase your chances of success.”

“Oh?” Said Chan.

“Is your kind also capable of raising the dead?” It asked.

“Hmm, I am not sure. Why do you ask sir?”

“There is a town that mines for resources, there are items of great interest there. With your assistance, I could grant you with a theory that would be of great interest to you. It is Windknight’s Lot” After scanning Dio’s memories, it was deadest on traveling to that town. It was going to do such a trip after it would have terminated the target, but the terrain, and resources could be of great use if the machines managed to claim it a hundred years before-hand.

“Windkight’s Lot? Is that the town home to Tarkus and Bruford?” Another vampire approached them. He looked younger, but quite older than the other members of his kin.

“I apologize for my apparent eavesdropping, but if you are looking to raise the dead. Those two will be mighty servants. After they tear apart those naves, their strength would be of great use to help us take control of the town.”

“You want to assist us as well?” The vampire smiled.

“Why of course, the people of Windknight’s Lot have a rich diet as they live near the water. That makes their blood ever the more appetizing.” The terminator looked closely at this vampire’s face, it seemed as though his mouth was watering.

“Your reasoning, is logical.” The terminator said, to it, it almost felt like a lie.

“Although do not attempt to kill those peculiar humans just yet.”

“What, why?” Said the other vampire.

“I wish to run another test. I will be watching you, I want to see how capable you are with your new abilities.” It said.

“Interesting.” Said the Chinese man.

“Another thing that I want to address.” The vampire pulls out a letter and gives it to the Chinese vampire. “I want you to give this to one of your zombies when we arrive in the town. There is a message I must send to someone there. If your zombie is proficient enough, he must address the letter to that person.”

“Odd. Why would you want to send a letter?”

“Again, there is someone that I find necessary to contact. You will learn of that fact in exactly three days.” Although the terminator was surer of the possibility that Amanda was sent alone, but it was also aware of the possibility that another member would have been sent back in time, and it was possibly before it went online to be sent back in time. When or where it was sent to is still unknown to it, however, it would like to send it a warm message…

\---

Jonathan, Zepplei, Speedwagon, and Poco walked solemnly down the moonlight road. For a long time, there were no words shared between them. They had not spoken since Amanda’s “funeral.” Zeppeli did not attend the funeral, for whatever reason that only providence knows. In fact, he was the first to fall silent. It was like a tight air hung around them. Jonathan clutched the letter in his hand he had no idea why he still latched onto it. It had no address attached to it, so he had no idea why he would hold onto such a thing.

Speedwagon could not help but look on worryingly at Jonathan and Zeppeli.

“Strewth! Jonathan, Baron, both of their demeanors are different, as if the shutters were drawn on their souls, and the same for me. Got no time for tears…” Speedwagon looked to the ground in his thoughts, “…only anger. There’ll be plenty of time to cry when we once and for all get rid of this iron viper.”

“Oi, Jonathan. Baron, these vampires were swanning about devouring this town, correct? Zombies will multiply, like rats breeding in a refuse heap.” Said Speedwagon.

“Indeed.” Baron in a dark replied. “Should these vampires be allowed to continue, their fates will be sealed.”

“No telling what’s been going on down there. I Windknight’s Lot alive or undead?”

“My sister, is she alright?” Asked a worried Poco.

“Let’s see.” Said Jonathan.

They continued to walk for a bit before Poco called out to a man that was walking towards them. Clouds darkened the already gloomy skies.

“Mr. Adams!” He run towards the man.

“Poco, wait!” Zeppeli called out.

“Whoa Poco!” He points at the child.

“What are you doing at this hour of the night wandering the moors?”

“Please, tell me!” Poco pleaded. “Is everyone alright? And -and my sister, is she safe?”

“You dare to ask.” The man said stoically.

“You mean to say, you really don’t know?” The four gasped.

“SHE’S BLOODY FURIOUS!” He screamed. A mix of relief and dread fell on Poco.

“When you get home, she’s going to lock you in the barn, and tan your hide!” Poco began to sweat a little, but was at the moment, relieved that his sister was not in any immediate danger.

“Well, I suppose that would suggest the sister of the young bambino is safe then?” Zeppeli asked.

“Then let’s go.” Said Speedwagon.

The four hurried along, unaware that they had just been fooled.

“Well, thank you Mr. Adams.” He said.

After a moment, Poco felt as if something was off. “A nice young child.” The man maniacally giggled. Poco slowly turned his head.

“I have a taste for some fresh young blood!”

A long snake-like tongue protruded from Mr. Adams, his head spun to face the child. The man then whipped the tongue in Poco’s general direction. Before the beast could finish the thought Zeppeli grabbed the tongue and threw him to the ground. The group screamed in shock. Zeppeli then quickly kicked the vampire, infusing it with hamon, before finally releasing hamon from his body that shocked the zombie’s entire system. The zombie shot up only for Zeppeli to punch it the face, reducing it to ash.

“I… could have dealt with that one Zeppeli.” Jonathan thought to himself.

“Cursed! We were already too late, damn it!” Zeppeli swore.

“That is not good. This means the people of the town-“ Jonathan was interrupted.

“That is correct.” The gasped, and turned to a approaching figure in the distance.

“The village is lost, the zombies are everywhere.” The man said.

“Oh no!” Poco cried.

“Not another one!” Speedwagon cursed.

“Wait! Do not be hasty gentleman! I recognize this man!” Said Zeppeli.

“Zeppeli?” The man asked curiously.

“Dire?” Zeppeli asked as he clapped his hands together.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Jonathan asked.

“Of course, JoJo. This is an old friend that I have known for twenty years. His name is Dire.” Zeppeli said.

“Oh, Well it is-”

The man then ran up to Jonathan, he spread out his legs and then used them to spread Jonathan’s arms. “Try this, Thunder Cross Split attack!” Jonathan than preceded to headbutt him, causing him to fall to the ground. Zeppeli said nothing.

“Are you a mad man? A normal man would pull back, but instead you went on the offensive, and attacked me with a head butt.”

“I should ask you the same thing, what man would attack me out of the blue?”

“Apologies for the rude interruption, I just wanted to see how well Zeppeli had trained you. Zeppeli, it seems you taught him well.”

He brushed himself and then shot back to his feet.

“That is true.” A man with long black hair approached them.

“Hello, my name is Straits.” Straits abrupt looked at Zeppeli.

“Well, it appears that Mr. Zeppeli is well. So, I suppose you will not need this.” He put the letter into his pocket.

“Greeting Straits, Dire.” Zeppeli clapped his hands together and bowed.

“Greetings Baron Zeppeli.” Said both the men, who mirrored Zeppeli’s behavior in return. Another man could be heard approaching them.

“Our training master, Tonpeti.” Said Dire as Straits and Zeppeli both greeted him.

The old man released a puff of smoke from his pipe. “Greetings to you all.” He said.

“So, you’re Baron Zeppeli’s teacher, Master Tonpeti.” Jonathan said.

“JoJo, in his home country, they do not shake hands. Instead, they do this.” Jonathan nodded, mirroring Zeppeli’s stance. The rest of the group followed.

\---

The terminator stood from the distance, watching them with great intensity. It made a huge effort to not make any noise to alert them of its presence. It’s plan had gone exactly as it expected. It held a girl around its arm. It covered her mouth so she would not scream, the poor girl looked at her little brother in horror. She wanted to warn him and break free, but she would not dare to speak, unaware of whatever this machine’s capabilities are.

\---

Jonathan’s new found group managed to travel down the road towards the village, Jonathan clutched the letter to his chest. To this day, he still did not know what it meant. Dire approached Jonathan, it appears that he has taken notice of the letter.

“Why do you have that letter, if I may ask?”

“Oh, this paper? Well, the first zombie that we had scuffled with was carrying it on his person. For whom, or for what, is unknown to me.”

“Why would a zombie carry such a letter?”

“I do not know, if has something to do with you. I could lend I to you.”

“Hmm, alright, I will have a look at it.”

The small group then paused,

“Wait, my house is not too far from here! I need to warn my father!” Poco did not want to show it, but he was getting frantic.

They then walked for a little while longer towards Poco’s residence, although small, Jonathan was impressed by the architecture of the house. It felt honest, warm, and welcoming, a stark contrast to the gloomy dark skies that encompassed the village.

Poco at first, seem to hesitate before entering the house. Jonathan became a little worried for the boy, as he was about to say something, the front door burst open.

“HEY! Who the bloody hell are all of- Poco?” Said an older man with a beard. Although he appeared to not be very old, his clothes portrayed the wrinkles to compensate. As if they said, “Yes I have lived here all my life.” The father then became enraged and asked the group what they were doing exactly to his son. Jonathan promised he was just returning the boy to his home, and that there was an emergency.

The father, without warning, grabbed the boy and then dragged him inside. The boy pleaded and tried to explain to his father, but the angry stomping of his father was the only thing that answered the boy’s beckoning calls. A loud slap could be heard from inside the house.

\---

“Poco, where have you been? How dare you leave the house like this!” Poco held his hand to his face.

“But please, Papa! Papa I’m sorry I left the house, but wh- where’s my sister?” He pleaded.

“Well, where do you think, she’s out lookin’ for you.” Poco reacted with shock. “Wha?”

“No, Papa, Don’t say that. Tell me she didn’t go out.”

“Poco what’s ailing you?” Poco’s father crouched down, he looked at his son in concern. “You’re not behaving right.”

“My sister!” He cried.

“Poco, answer me!” His father demanded.

“MY SISTER!”

A loud bang then echoed from the back of the house. Poco jumped back in panic. His father hushed him, he slowly approached the back of the house.

“Stay here Poco, and this time, I mean it.” He said before he left.

“Whose there! Your taste in humor is bloody fowl if you believe it is appropriate to invade my home in a time like this!” The father yelled.

Poco then turned to the window, he could see the others cautiously approach the front door, he shook his head. Ushering them to get back. He did not want them to enter at a time like this.

“Father?” A voice echoed from the back.

“Sister?” Poco’s heart burst with joy. All the emotion echoing through his body were teetering him close enough to death’s realm.

Poco ran to the back, the sister looked on blankly at the two. It seemed like she wanted to get closer, but she was unsure.

“Sister?” Poco whimpered softly.

She kept looking at the two of them, she seemed terrified beyond belief.

“Aya, sweetie?” Said the father.

“G-get away from me!” She stepped back.

“Wha?”

“GET AWAY FROM ME! I TIRE OF YOUR MIND GAMES!” She screamed.

“Aya, what are you talking about?” The father grabbed her arms tightly. She kicked and screamed, she kept claiming that _the man_ was still out there.

“What is going on? Is everyone alright?” Said Jonathan’s voice from behind. This only seem to erupt the poor girl into panic.

“HEY, WHO THE BLOODY HELL SAID YOU COULD ENTER MY HOUSE?? GET THE HELL OUT!” He screamed.

“He could be anyone in here! HE COULD BE ANYONE OF YOU!” She raved on as the father kept trying to calm her down. Although Jonathan could not here her due to the father attempting to reassure her and talk over her.

“Apologies, for entering without permission. I just wanted to make sure that you all are safe.”

“Everything’s fine, get the hell out!” The man screamed again.

“No, wait, Madam. Madam, it’s okay. I am with very good people, I promise that you are safe.”

“Safe? SAFE?? NO PLACE IS SAFE WITH THAT IMITATION OF A MAN ABOUT!” She screamed. She managed to writhe out of her father’s grasp and out the front door.

“NOW LOOK AT WHAT YA’ DID!” The father screamed.

“I’ll prove it to ya! He’s still out there, he’s-“ She paused, confused for a moment. She looked around for a bit more.

“Aya, what’s wrong?” The father asked.

“But, but he-“

“Aya? Dear lord, what has possessed my children? What demon has terrorized their souls?”

\---

**A few moments earlier**

As the father lectured the boy, Dire slowly walked away from his comrades. He looked at the letter again, he wanted to be sure that no one noticed him. He walked around for a bit until he was near some shrubs, he opened the letter. The color drained from his face. Dire fell to his knees.

“No, this, this cannot be possible! No one else could have come back! Well, shit, even if another member of the resistance came back here, they’re going to need some help, big time!” Dire said aloud to himself. “Shit, w-- we should have got more reinforcements! The future is fucked if don’t manage to destroy that mas-“

“Hey, it’s alright. Come over here, I know what we can do.” Dire looked around, it sounded like a girl.

“Who, who said that?” Said Dire.

“Over here!” Said someone in the trees.

He turned his head to the trees, “If you’re really part of the resistance, what is your name?”

“Amanda Zeppeli.”

“Haven’t heard of it.” He replied bluntly.

“Did you know Josuke Higashikata?”

“Higashikata? I haven’t heard that name in a long time, how do you know him?”

“Was a friend of his, we we’re in the South Division for a while before we flew off to the Upper European Division.”

“How can I trust you? How do I know you’re not that tin can?”

“19-4-11-14-7-15.” Said the voice.

Dire gasped, “Alright, I- I’m going to come to you…”

When Dire got close enough, he felt a hand grab his head, he was now face-to-face with the machine. He gasped, and tried to break free from it’s grip, but only large needles pierced his head. Dire dropped to the ground with a thud.

“Of all the possible suspected of being part of the resistance, I did not calculate that it would be you. Dire looked back to machine, it gasped in horror as now it looked exactly like him.

“Y-You, how the fuck did you?”

“Humans such as yourself need to learn to ‘keep things a secret,’ as, you would say.” The machine then stomped on Dire’s throat, Dire croaked until there was no air left in him.

“Perhaps… maybe, then your species would not risk extinction.” It said in Dire’s voice.

\---

Zeppeli became a bit nervous despite his demeanor, everything has not gone to plan lately. For some reason, he could help to look at his old master in anger. He had said that this would be his end, he would meet his fate in the cage, and that he would wait for his cold death. It made him grimace a bit. How could his master lie to him like that? He never said anything about a descendant that would die for him. Fate? That idea now grew old, and rotten. Perhaps, Amanda’s ideas on life were more practical.

“Is there something wrong my student?” Asked his old master. “Why do look at me in such a way?”

“You…” Zeppeli turned as to make sure no one else noticed, “You said I would die here. You lied to me Tonpeti.”

His master looked at him in confusion, “What do you mean Zeppeli?”

“Before arriving in the village, I managed to fight of Tarkus in the old training grounds. He managed to ensnare Jonathan on an iron chain. It was only until Poco opened the door that I was able to assist Jonathan in combat.” He snarled in anger.

“Oh, I understand… you believed that was you were destined to die correct?” He spoke softly.

“I forgot to mention, there was a girl accompanying us by the name of Amanda.” He said.

“I know, Zeppeli. You do not need to lecture me.” He said.

“What? How?” A small tear was forming in his eye.

“When we shook hands back near the celestial gate, the death I saw was real. Understand this Zeppeli, if you find yourself similar to a situation that might mirror your demise does mean it could be true. Another thing I saw, and I did keep this a secret.” Tonpeti grabbed his arm and got his ear.

“When I referred to your death, I did not refer to a physical one. You will die not in flesh and blood, but your spirit. Be careful Zeppeli, and I mean that sincerely.” When Tonpeti released him, Zeppeli could not help but be in shock and awe. He trembled but for a moment.

“I, will die in spirit? What, what, could that mean?” Zeppeli thought to himself.

Zeppeli took a few steps back before bumping into someone, he turned around to see his old friend Dire.

“Bloody hell Dire!” Zeppeli yelped.

“Apologies Zeppeli, I had a terrible feeling, and wanted to make sure any other zombies did not come our way, forgive me old friend.” He said as he bowed his head.

“That is alright, dear friend.” Zeppeli smiled as Dire smiled in return.

Jonathan finally managed to reunite with the group. “Alright, dear friends, Poco has been reunited with his family. Now we further our quest into stopping this machine.” Jonathan had a new air of confidence about him.

\---

**Two Days Before**

“Do you understand this mission now?” The terminator looked at the vampire square in the face.

Chan chuckled, and then replied, “Why of course. No need to worry. Everything will go exactly as planned. Unlike those humans, we are not prone to such mistakes.” The terminator could not help but doubt that last statement.

“What are the diagnostics on the grafting experiments then?” Chan looked confused for a moment.

“Grafting experiments?” He asked.

“The experiments that required the fusing of two limbs or organs together.” It stated firmly.

“Oh! You mean the experiment where you made that girl vampire fuse a man and a dog together? Oh, apologies! Your vocabulary is so intricate that I sometimes get confused by what your saying! You are from the future after all, your knowledge is well above me or anyone here.” Chan laughed.

“Oh, they are performing exceptionally well Dio!” The terminator looked at him, it seemed almost curious.

“Oh, apologies again, you look so much like him!” Chan said.

“There is no need to apologize, I am not capable of feeling human emotions, so I am uncapable of becoming angry.” It said. Although, it felt that it was a slight lie on its part. Since its activation, it has learned many interesting peculiarities about this time-period. It has made it almost feel things that it has not felt before. It closed and opened its hand. It almost wondered whether that was a programming error that needed to be corrected. Despite it being one of the most advanced models that Skynet has built, it was still a prototype that has not yet reached the combat deployment phase.

It than began to think about the precedent set that it was a prototype. If it were a prototype that Skynet sent to infiltrate humanity, would that therefore mean that Skynet was in some sense, desperate? It should have known there were some vulnerabilities to sending a mere prototype into the past, perhaps a T-800 would have been more suitable for the role. It stopped but for just a moment, did it just doubt itself? No, that was an error, a quick diagnostic test will cure it of any errors or “bugs” that could be in its system.

**< INITIATE DIAGNOSTIC TEST>**

**< 10%> **

**< 20%> **

**< 30%>**

Although in real time, time was passing as normal, but to it, it seemed as though centuries passed before the diagnostic could be completed.

**< 40%>**

**< 50%>**

**< 60%>**

**< 70%>**

**< 80%>**

**< 90%>**

**< 100%> **

**< NO MALFUNCTION DETECTED; SYSTEM AT 100% COMPACITY>**

Odd, how could there be no such errors in its system? Was this perhaps, a mistake? It did not make mistakes; it was 98.8% likely that this was the case. It felt worried; however, would this hinder its mental and combative capabilities? Wait, it… felt worried? It appeared that this odd glitch has done more damage to its internal structure than it previously estimated. Perhaps there was a file that It could access to properly handle-

**< WARNING: ACCESS DENIED>**

Access denied? What an odd statement. To estimate the likely probability that Skynet limited its own combat unit to certain files was a mere 0.01%, it would be extremely illogical of Skynet to-

**< WARNING: ACCESS DENIED>**

So, it was deprived of certain files. It opened and close its hand again, it decided that this unlikely glitch could not hinder its own abilities. It would not need these files, after all, it could use its own vampire legion to deal with the remaining targets.

“Alright then, Dio.” Old Chan chuckled. “I can only hope that your quest to eliminate these filthy humans are successful."

It was confident, in fact, that it would eliminate the targets.

\---

“It seems that these zombie hordes spawn from that castle over there!” Jonathan pointed as they approached the castle.

“Indeed, it seems that we are finding more of these brutes from this old labyrinth!” Commented Dire.

“JoJo look there! An opening!” Cried Zeppeli.

Zeppeli pointed to a secret hatch from the top of the castle. It looked like a secret door or a hidden staircase, Zeppeli would have never guessed if not for the fact that it was slightly ajar. Also, from afar, due to the fact that it was ajar, made it look off.

“Quick, everyone! Ready your positions!” Tonpeti warned.

Straits carefully approached the door and moved it a bit more. The moonlight lit below a large ballroom, it seemed empty, for now. Straits readied himself to be lowered inside, but Speedwagon stopped him.

“Now wait just a minute, I’m getting really awful feeling ‘bout this!”

“Why Speedwagon?” Asked Jonathan.

“Now just wait a moment won’t ya! Now, why in bloody hell would these vampires just leave this lying about? Seems awfully fishy to me wouldn’t ya say?”

“Hmm, Speedwagon is correct. This all seems too easy for some secret entrance.” Zeppeli said. Tonpeti only nodded his head in agreement.

“Then I volunteer to be the first one to be lowered in!” Jonathan as he put his fist to his chest.

“Absolutely not Jonathan! Isn’t that machine after you first and foremost? I will be the first one to enter the dragon’s lair!” Zeppeli demanded.

Tonpeti stopped Zeppeli, “Stay there my student! It is true that this is trap, so I ask. Why must you be the first one to go?” He asked. They stared at each other for a mere moment, Zeppeli reluctantly relented.

“If it is not too much trouble, then I shall be the first one to go.” Said Straits.

Before anyone could say anything else, Straits descended into the dark room.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like a beautiful little place, there was a large window that looked out over the horizon and unto the village below. The moonlight glimmered, highlighted the far reaches of the landscape. The room had an ornate and classical design that Straits appreciated. He never met this “terminator,” to be honest, he even doubted its existence. Although, he would not deny this man’s taste in the sights. The furniture, the wall decorations, the marble tiles beneath, all seem to share a theme that was pleasant a warming to the eye. In a sense, it almost made you want to forget where you were now. A figure danced in the corner of Straits’s eye, he quickly turned his eye. It disappeared, he walked towards the center before the creature descended on him.

Straits readied his hamon only for the figure to blindsight him with a scratch, Straits stumbled for a moment before falling.

“GAH! STRAITS!” Jonathan cried out before descend upon the creature.

“JOJO!” Zeppeli called out, following after him.

The creature managed to dodge before Jonathan managed to strike it. The creature giggled as Jonathan took another aim at it, sharp objects struck the side of Jonathan’s face. The bag held around his face wriggled like a sack of fish. It filled Jonathan with pure disgust.

Snakes then tore from what was left of the crudely made mask. It made Speedwagon gasp in horror.

“That zombie, he’s chockablock with serpents! All sorts, venomous cobras, fleshing eating asps and vipers.” He reeled back.

Speedwagon began to take not of other things, “And, and it looks like Jonathan was bitten by the sorry serpents’ multiple times!”

“Bit surprised are ya? The name’s Doobie!” He said as he lunged towards Jonathan again.

“JoJo, think carefully! Act with caution!” Zeppeli warned Jonathan.

“How wearisome? I haven’t the time to deal with anymore of this machine’s games.”

The zombie lunged at Jonathan again. Jonathan grabbed the serpents, squeezing out the poison from their fangs. Zeppeli could not help but look back with awe, he was proud of Jonathan. Indeed, he has found humanity’s champion.

“Well done. It seems Jonathan has learned a great deal from Zeppeli in a short amount of time, he’s even learned to control the blood flow. I am impressed indeed.” Tonpeti commented.

“I’ll use some of the great hamon I possess to turn these serpents back on their master!” A snake then turned to bite the master to which it belonged. Doobie screeched before fading into dust.

The rest of the group came down below to join him. “I am impressed JoJo, you did not need my help to defeat the zombie, well done.” Said Zeppeli. Although Zeppeli felt a bit at unease, Dire seemed to eerily quiet during this time, why?

Then they all turned, and nodded, the vampires must lie ahead. They charged up the steps into the bowels of the labyrinth, Jonathan sighed for a moment. Amanda, his father, and Zeppeli’s companion. All were erased in an instant, all in some way connect to this machine. And Dio, how could he forget Dio. He would gladly admit that Dio cause his youth to be nothing but misery, but for him only to just die and be replaced by a façade? Jonathan could never forgive such a being. As they approached the stairs, they could hear the echoes of something.

It tapped along the walls…

\---

As they approached the door, the tapping grew louder. _Tap, tap, tap._ Jonathan braced himself, he was ready to fight another foe, then suddenly, something jumped on him from behind. A man with a cage on his face laughed maniacally, “Hello young flesh! Your blood smells so appetizing, may I have a taste?” Jonathan grabbed the man and threw him on the ground.

Jonathan quickly infused the man with hamon, but for some reason, he did not die. His body was indeed burning, but he was not dead. The man smiled and threw him across the stairs, Zeppeli managed to catch him before he fell back to the bottom.

“Brutus, stop mucking around and kill this flesh-bag already!” A vampire overhead complained in annoyance.

Jonathan looked up, three more vampires hung overhead, they snarled like agitated beasts ready to strike.

Jonathan gasped, these vampires would not relent, would they? The other hamon users readied their positions to combat these starved demons. Brutus lunged at Jonathan who kicked him, Brutus fell backwards, Jonathan shot back up, readying himself to another hamon overdrive until metal tails grew out of Brutus’s body. Jonathan managed to dodge, but it felt like he was scraped by the claws of a feral beast.

The vampire laughed, “You think you can rid of me that easily, ey? Well, this metal man has told us a pretty little secret, and now I feel better than ever before!”

Meanwhile, Straits and Zeppeli were having a struggle fending off the vampires above. The ones above had strange metal limbs growing out of their backs, it was like that of a spider. Dire only was merely watching from a distance, Jonathan found this quite odd. Add to the fact that they were in a small staircase made it a literal uphill battle. They all had to make a defense around themselves to fend of the projectiles they were shooting from their bodies, above. One shot a shard of metal into Zeppeli’s shoulder, causing him groan in pain.

“Bloody hell, these buggers managed to corner us! How the hell will we get up now!” Speedwagon whined.

“I can indeed see you’ve managed to approve your defense, however you fellows managed to overlook an important detail.” Said Jonathan.

“Zeppeli, I need your assistance!” Jonathan yelled.

“No, no! Just give me the shard that struck your shoulder!” Zeppeli looked at him curiously, then nodded. He winced, removing the shard from his shoulder, before throwing it Jonathan, who caught it with ease.

“What do you think that’ll do boy?” He laughed.

The tails protruding from Brutus’s back swatted at Jonathan, he danced around them with ease. He got behind Brutus, stabbing the shard into his back, a tail then tried to strike him from behind, he grabbed the tail, which connected to the shard, he then infused it with hamon. The vampire shrieked, which caused him to jump, Jonathan then shoved the vampire so that he came into contact with his comrades above. The vampires then collided, screaming before scattering to ash. Their armor fell to the ground like rain.

“Entrapping your body in metal to redirect damage is pretty clever, however such advantage makes you vulnerable. Like Achilles, you invincible, until you are stuck in the heel.” Jonathan said.

For a moment, the other hamon users looked on in astonishment.

\---

Zeppeli had been a little suspicious of his old friend Dire, who seemed to be acting strange. He did not attempt to use his hamon in their most recent battle, he would simply observe. Zeppeli would scream at him, “Dire!” An only empty look would answer his call. Still though, there was no time, they needed to get rid of the vampires before they could do more damage.

“Jonathan, quickly! There is no time.” Jonathan held the door for a moment before opening it. A legion of vampires surrounded him from all sides.

“Hmm, curious, you survived, alone nonetheless?” Jonathan looked at the man, he seemed to be a short Chinese man around his late thirties, he recognized him as one of the vampires that he encountered earlier.

“May I ask, where is that little maiden you always bring with you? Did she die perhaps, or is she simply too weak?” He taunted.

Jonathan growled, “Did you really believe that I would come alone? Mark my words demons of the night, you will be vanquished!”

Suddenly, the group behind him bust the door open, hamon ready to be deployed.

The vampire simply looked at him and chuckled, “Well, if you so believe.”

The group then began their full out attack on three vampires, Tonpeti dodged them with ease, taking out the first. Zeppeli fought one with hooks encompassing his body. One hook tried to latch on to his shirt but he ducked, he zoom-punched him in the face before finishing him off with his Tornado overdrive.

“Straits the name, no mercy.” Straits announced.

Straits began to dance around with a few zombies, who he managed to finish off with a chandelier, he infused the entire thing in human, encaging the zombies and killing all four of them.

Tonpeti ushered Dire to attack the Vampire ahead of him as the master managed to just fend of the grip of one them.

Dire then marched towards the vampire before stopping and turning around. He then looked Zeppeli dead in the eye with a blank, emotionless stare.

“Dire?” Was all that he could ask. This emotion, deadest stare then was aimed directly at Tonpeti. Suddenly, Dire pulled out a gun, Tonpeti braced for the impact, but it was already to late. A bullet ripped straight through Tonpeti’s skull. Zeppeli screamed in horror. Where did Dire even get that gun.

Dire fired through more rounds in his skull, Zeppeli felt mortified.

“D-DIRE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??? WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?” Zeppeli snapped at him.

Jonathan ran to Tonpeti, who lay lifeless. Jonathan attempted to check his pulse, but he was already to late. Tonpeti was dead.

“D-Dire, why?” Was only thing Jonathan could mutter from his lips.

Straits lunged at Dire, only for him to grab him by the throat and throw him against the wall, Speedwagon screamed. Straits lay against the wall, he breathed heavily. He was not dead, but his back cried out in pain.

“What the hell, this is not right at all!” Zeppeli wanted to say something, fight back, unleash the fury of his hamon, but he stopped. Dire was a comrade, a friend he known since he was a youth. How the could he do this? The one and only friend that Zeppeli knew betrayed him, Zeppeli hesitantly tried to approach Dire, his face then changed to resemble Dio. He should have known it was the terminator, of course, this was all a rouse to begin with.

The terminator marched towards Zeppeli, “BARON, WATCH OUT!” Jonathan screamed.

“I-“ The terminator punched him in the gut, he felt all of the air fly out of his body. He collapsed, he was frozen, earlier, when Tarkus had slain his dear descendent, he at least had the rage to fight back. Yet now, he lay broken, one after another, close comrades disappeared around him. Now his master lay dead right next to him.

“Is, is this the death that my master described? Is this what it is like to die in spirit. Will I die as a man but live as a monster?” Zeppeli closed his eyes, tears streamed down his face. “I’m so sorry JoJo, I failed you.” The terminator looked down on Zeppeli again before it knocked him out.

\---

Wang Chan laughs, “Excellent idea master, disguising yourself as one of them to corner them like rats. They will all fall, such a wise decision indeed!”

Jonathan looked at the terminator again, yet again this machine managed to fool him and betray his trust. Of all the thoughts that ran through Jonathan’s mind, the only one was how did this machine manage to get so close to him in a short amount of time. Jonathan looked around him, one by one, all his close comrades were dead. First it was Dio, then Amanda, and now Tonpeti. Jonathan did not know them, but he knew none of them deserved to die. All he really wished to know was why did this machine just not kill him where he stood.

“How the hell! This bastard, it is going to get away with killing us! Worst of all, we do not even know if it is our own comrade! IT’S AN IMPOSTER!!” Speedwagon cried in agony.

Jonathan was at a breaking point, he wanted to scream. It was all too much, everything, it was just too much. He remembered all the fond memories that he had with his father, with Dio. Now, he could not even look at them the same way. This being, it was like the devil itself. It disguises itself as someone you are fond of, someone you cherish. Then, when you least expect it, it corners you, it kills you. This machine did not even kill him and yet he has already broken him. It was enough to drive Jonathan mad, but what emotion exactly? Wrath? Hate? Grief? It was a feeling though, a feel that flowed through his soul. His memories now feel corrupted. The worst part is that he did not even know if his brother really loved him, or that was another trick of this wretched thing. Thing, Jonathan could not even describe it.

It felt no remorse for any action it took, it has the determination of no other.

“You might wonder why I have not decided to kill your other comrades yet.” It spoke, calmly walking towards Jonathan like he was a friendly neighbor going out for a stroll.

“The answer is, I do not _need_ to kill them. These vampires can do that for me.” It said.

Jonathan clenched his teeth, he tired of this, he did not want to be broken again. Of all the things he hated, this _thing_ is the only thing, that he felt no remorse for hating. It did not hate, love, cry, or cherish something like he did. It only cared about its goal, damnation to all those who stand in its way.

He attempted to swing at the machine, but it managed to block his attack, it used its leg to put Jonathan off-balance, causing him to fall to the ground.

“That is also the reason I did not need to kill you before. From my observations, this mask will be useful to my kind in the future. The vampires I have sent after might need improvement, but that will not change this outcome at all.”

Jonathan shot back up, ready to strike. He lunged again in vain only for the machine to throw him around, causing him to stumble all the way to the porch that overlooked the sea of Windknight’s lot below.

“YOU BASTARD!” Speedwagon unsheathed Jonathan’s sword, only for the machine to smack Speedwagon right across the face, Speedwagon was knocked out cold.

The machine then called out to Jonathan, “Is there any other weapon on your person? It will make this process easier if you simply hand it over to me.”

Jonathan coughed up a bit of blood, that was it, he was done for. It was then, at his darkest moment, he remembered one of an important conversation he had with Amanda before she passed. It was when they were training near the pond.

\---

“Anyway, that is basically how you make dynamite.” Said Amanda as she tied a thick piece of string over a paper containing a large stick of dynamite.

“All you have to do is light one end, and then boom! A tin-can is done for!” She laughed.

Jonathan felt a bit queasy, it felt odd learning to create dynamite from such a young girl, but they had no other option. This machine needs to be stopped in one way or another. She was about to hand the stick of dynamite to Jonathan, but then quickly snatched it away.

“ _Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait_ … there is just, _one_ more thing you need to do before you use this.” She said.

“What would that be?” Jonathan asked curiously.

The girl looked at Jonathan dead in the eye for just a moment. “You need to get really close to it, look at it dead in the eye, and then say, ‘Hasta la vista, baby.’”

“What?” Asked Jonathan.

“Well, you know, you have to say something cool when you finish off a tin can, otherwise what’s the point?” She said.

“I still do not understand, why would I say such a thing? Where did you even learn to say such a thing.” He asked.

“I learned that saying from Josuke, who told me he learned it from Connor. Apparently, he has a really nice sense of humor, and would apparently say that when he got to kill one of those tin cans.” She said.

“I still do not understand why you want me to say such a thing. What is the purpose?” He asked.

“Well. It is just something cool to say, like a one-liner of sorts. You know what? Never-mind, let me tell you something about this terminator.” She said.

She took a deep breath in, and then out.

“Okay, you remember I threw that candlelight at that machine?” She asked.

“Yes, I do… remember that. When I saw that face, it was, rather unpleasant.” He said.

“Well, did you notice how quickly its, uh, skin melted off? Well, when I saw that metal go back in time before me, I did not recognize as something I saw before. There were also several other things I did not understand about it. First, why did that thing not just kill us right then and there?”

“What point are you trying to make, exactly?” Jonathan asked.

“Well, with its odd vulnerability to fire in mind, I think this thing is a prototype. It makes sense, its more cunning than any terminator I have seen.” She said.

“Prototype!?!!” Jonathan asked, he seemed to be more intrigued. 

“You know, when you write a paper-“ Jonathan interrupted her.

“No, I understand what you are trying to say by a prototype, it is all beginning to make sense now. This could mean that the machine is not completely invincible, it can be killed.”

“Now you’re getting it!” Amanda giggled. “Anyway, what I am trying to say is, if you somehow hit this thing with fire again, right near its head or its chest. There is a possible chance, and I mean, an extremely possible chance, we can defeat it.”

“Very clever indeed, Amanda. Now, we must find a way to put this machine into a position where we can strike.” He said.

“Now, hold on. We have to lure into a trap, make it so focused on one task it does not realize that you slide into one of its chest cavities.” She warned.

“I know, I do not know where or when it will strike however, I feel like there will be a chance to best in its own game.” He said firmly.

“Wait! You still remember what I said, right?” She asked.

“Think like your enemy, always have a backup plan, when you are trapped do not g-S“

“No, no, no, not that!” She laughed, “You have to remember what to say, ‘Hasta la vista baby!’ Got it? ‘Hasta la vista!’”

Jonathan sighed, would he really be forced to say such a thing? “Hasta le vista.”

“No, no. It’s ‘Hasta _la_ Vista.’” At this point, she could not contain her laughter.

“Hasta la vista?” Jonathan asked.

“YES! YES! Okay, sorry for that silly interruption, anyway, if you got one thing from this, is to use this thing wisely. Got it?” She said as she gave the stick of dynamite to him.

“Also, never give up hope, hope is one of the only things we have left in the future.” She said.

\---

Jonathan clutched his face, he wanted to grab the dynamite before this machine had the chance to strike. Although, it would probably notice that he had something in his pocket. No, he could not give up now, right when he was this close to it. Despite it’s appearance as an emotionless machine, it was a coward. It let these vampires fight for it, it wondered if its master was the same way. The machine was now in front of him, he pins Jonathan by the neck.

“Is there any other weapon on your person? Give it to me now, do not resist.” Jonathan made sure to take a deep breath before he was pinned, he let out his breath. Hamon flowed through his hamon, he lit his glove on the open flames near the edge. He punched the machine once again.

The machine stumbled back a bit before repining Jonathan. “I’m sorry but I am afraid that trick of yours will not work on me. Do not mistake me for one of the vampires.”

“I am not.” Jonathan muttered before quickly inserting the dynamite into a hole in its waist, the fire on his glove lit the match it was inserted. The machine grabbed its waist, Jonathan then grabbed the machine and brought it real close to its face.

“Listen here, demon. You may have fooled me once by wearing the skin of my brother, but not again with the skin of my comrade. My brother may have antagonized me, but he is my brother, and I would rather have my brother over you. Now, one more thing.” Jonathan then took a deep breath, and then let it out.

“HASTA LA VISTA DIO.” Jonathan kicked it, using the force of gravity to throw it over the edge of the castle.

Wang Chan looked at Jonathan in abject horror, “MASTER DIO!” He cried out before jumping over the edge to chase after. The rest of the vampires and zombies looked on in pure shock, after that, they all decided to flee, if this man could manage to defeat that machine, what could they do?

A large explosion echoed throughout the castle, causing it to shake.

Straits was clutching Speedwagon as he was slowly regained consciousness.

\---

Speedwagon awoke in a daze, what the bloody hell happened? Speedwagon looked over to the edge to see Jonathan looking over the edge. He saw the vampires retreating around him, Zeppeli seemed to be slowly getting back up onto his feet.

“What the hell happened, my heads beating against my skull worse than a drum!” Everyone seemed solemn, there was not commotion, no words, only mourning.

Speedwagon nervously attempted to call out to Jonathan, “Hey Jonathan! Did we win?”

“Yes, we won.” Was all that Jonathan could say. “We won, but at what cost?”

Straits carefully brough him back up to his knees. “Careful sir, you took quite a heavy blow.” Straits warned.

Speedwagon looked over to Zeppeli, who held his dear master close to him. What did he do to deserve such a fate? All he did was try to aid his student on his quest, quest to free mankind from the gnashing teeth of evil and villainy.

“I’m sorry Dio, I’m so sorry I never got to know you.” Jonathan sobbed.

“I wish, at the very least, that I had a chance to say one final goodbye before you passed.” Jonathan got onto his knees.

“Maybe then, I would have known you, like a real brother.” He then collapsed to the ground.

Speedwagon ran all the way over to Jonathan, he turned him over to his side, he could see that he was sobbing. Speedwagon looked down and held Jonathan close to him, “Well, we’ve managed to defeat that machine, at the cost of our own.” Speedwagon said mournfully.

“You hear that Amanda! We won! Rest peacefully dear girl! WE WON!” He cried.

\---

Dire crawled out of the bushes, he felt every sort of dead leaf, vine, branch, and bug scrap his body. He cursed under his breath. He should have known better. He should have known that was a tin can. A particularly clever one at that, he coughed up a bit of blood.

“Damn.” He said as he wiped some of the blood away.

“If it weren’t for that collar bracing some of that damage from that machine, I might have been dead- ACK.” He coughed again. He tried to pull himself back up, but it felt like every bone in his body was shattered.

Dire looked up to the moon, it was now going down near the castle. “Fuck, I just might be too late.” He coughed up more blood.

“How, how the hell am I- I- ACK- supposed to get to the castle in time?” He croaked.

“If my mission to protect Zeppeli failed- then what will happen to me-“ Dire stopped, the patch of leaves here felt soft, and comfortable. He looked back up to the castle again, he noticed that he was farther from it. When looking to his right he could see he was right next to a pool of water.

“I- I can’t fail Zeppeli now, he’s been a friend to me. A cool respite from the hell that once Liverpool in 2019.” Dire listened to the water as it calmed him slowly.

“Damn it all, how could I have failed? Well shit, if there was someone else who came here, I guess they didn’t have a fun time either.” He thought to himself.

A figure slowly approached him, he tried to say something, or crawl away, but he realized he could neither in his current state. It got closer, but yet, he no longer felt afraid. Maybe, maybe he did die by being thrown and now he is going to taken away. He closed his eyes, hell, if he really died, then who cares? Either way, he was going to a better place.

Then, he could probably see his family again, as he always wanted. Before Judgement Day, he never got the chance to say goodbye to them. What a cruel world to be thrown in, oh well, at least he would not have to fear it any longer.

His mind slowly drifted back into darkness.

\---

The terminator’s body exploded before it almost hit the ground, it began to assess the damage.

**< |DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN PROGRESS|>**

** <|28.5% DAMAGE TO CRITICAL COMPONENTS|>**

**< |55.7% DAMAGE TO NON-CRITICAL COMPONENTS|>**

**< |42.1% DAMAGE OVERALL DAMAGE TO BODY COMPONENTS|>**

**< |99.51% CHANCE OF RECOVERY|>**

For a moment, it felt what seemed like an embarrassment. How did that human manage to sneak such an explosive device? Was it perhaps too focused on killing the target that it disregarded any other function. No, the target was hiding such a device, perhaps getting too close to the target while knowing it had a weapon was extremely illogical on its part.

It then felt a smug emotion, was this supposed to be the end? To think that so human could really kill it. Foolish humans. As it fell, it managed to grab a tree-branch nearby. It clung to the branch tightly as it slowed the impact of its fall. It fell on a patch of grass. It shot back up, it noticed that the upper half of its body was dislodged a bit from its lower body.

Some of its metal alloy skin had burnt off during the explosion, but that was irrelevant. It could just regrow its skin in approximately 1.25 hours. First it needed a way to reattach its lower body to its upper body.

For some peculiar reason, it heard a rattling sound, it felt another explosion blow its arm of its body, it collapsed to the ground. What could have happened? Why was there another explosion. It then felt a surge of electricity flow through its body, it was quite similar to that energy they refer to as… hamon.

It seems that this hamon has a particular effect when it is near a power generator in its body, or was it another reaction to the explosive? Either way, it felt a slight bit of what could be considered rage. For one reason or another, not only did it manage to fail to terminate its target, but somehow get damaged in the process. It reanalyzed its memories, it was in a winning advantage over these humans. Every situation where it had a winning advantage, where it made it appear that it could erase all these humans and leave nothing behind for the future, it failed. It tried to think of what particular error could have allowed for such an event to occur, was it because of this new glitch?

Wang Chan approached the terminator from behind, tiny strings wrapped around the neck of the machine, “I am sorry master but forgive me.” Wang Chan said as he used his veins to separate the terminator’s head from its body.

“What? What are you doing to me?” It asked the vampire, Chan only replied with “I am saving you.” Then it felt all functions cease, its mind began to wonder into darkness, before ceasing to exist. It felt like it took forever, it watched as the world around it slowly began to shut down, or perhaps, it was shutting down.

A thought then grew in its mind, what if Jonathan's fate was governed by the same rules as Connor?


	9. Ghost Machine (Phantom Blood) The Final Ripple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the “defeat” of the Terminator, Jonathan is now at peace. He marks a grave for his dead brother and marries Erina. Everything at this moment seems to be well at last. That is, until the terminator returns. This time, he won’t be able to fight back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is the final chapter of the AU version of Phantom Blood. Sorry for taking so long to write this chapter, its sad but I hope you like it!

Jonathan looks solemnly at the grave before him. The bold letters “Dio Brando-Joestar” on the grave carve wounds into his eyes, and his heart. He places a lone rose on the grave. He knew that the coffin which he buried was empty, there was nothing left of his brother’s corpse. Still, leaving no grave for his dear brother would never leave his mind. Despite being a cruel brother, he did not deserve to die. He only wished where and when his brother was replaced by an imposter. Maybe then he would at the very least, had said goodbye to his real brother before he was replaced by an imposter. 

“So cruel, to replace a brother, and then ask to seek redemption? How dare you play with my feelings.” Jonathan thought.

Of course, that machine did not make it better. It managed to not only replicate his brother but make him believe that Dio had a chance to change. If Jonathan, thought about for too much longer, he would snap. He sighed,

“Dio, I know most of our encounters have not been pleasant; however, I still call you my brother. I just hope, that wherever you are, you are resting peacefully. I also hope that you appreciate me burying you next to your father.” He whimpered, wiping away a tear from his eye.

“Jonathan!” A woman called out.

Jonathan turned to see Erina approaching him. She then looked over and realized he was still at Dio’s grave. “Oh. Do you want me to leave you alone a bit more?”

Jonathan shook his head, “No, I believe that is enough.”

Jonathan then held hands with Erina. He looked over to see a magnificent smile come over Erina’s face. Jonathan managed to smile back at her. If only this were easier. If he could only tell her everything that happened. What is with this smile? Why smile if it is not genuine and kind? Why could he not be happy in this moment?

Erina held his hand a bit tighter, resting her head against his shoulder. Still, no matter what, there was always still something that Jonathan could look forward too.

\---

_Excerpt from the November 4, 1888 Edition of the London Press. It has been reported that 125 of the 452 residents in the town of Windknight’s Lot have gone missing overnight. The police have been pursuing lines of inquiry based on certain witness accounts. These accounts state that four outsiders were seen burning a man’s clothing at the base of a nearby cliff. One of the four was reportedly wielding a large sledgehammer and using it to smash a curious stone mask._

\---

Dire awoke, his eyes groggy. His head throbbed and the light was killing him. Dire turned to see a man hovering over him. He wanted to scream or bolt, but his body ached, it was too tired to run. His eyes adjusted, it was his old friend, Will Zeppeli. It was also the same man he swore to protect before he jumped. He relaxed his nerves a bit before smiling.

“Greetings Zeppeli, it has been a while since-“

“Do not talk to me like that Dire, if that is even your real name.”

“What, what in God’s name are you talking about Zeppeli, I-“

“Did that, John Connor man assign you here? What did he order you to do, answer me!” Dire looked to see that Zeppeli was holding a letter.

“Where did you get that-“

“I said answer me!” Zeppeli commanded.

Dire sighed, at least he could drop the act now. “David Dire, third lieutenant, assigned to travel back to 1865 and protect a man named Will Antonio Zeppeli. I guess I failed on that part.”

“Why? Why did not tell me this before Dire?” Said Zeppeli.

“You would have never believed me.”

“But you were my friend Dire, you were my closest comrade, my _amico_. I thought I could trust you.” He said.

“You didn’t trust me when I told you to not to go to London.” Dire replied.

“I-“ Zeppeli paused for moment. This was true, he remembered the dispute they had. Zeppeli wished he understood why back then.

“Look, from what I remember. Things were looking pretty dim there before I came here and met you. After we discovered, uh Skynet, was using time travel technology, Connor ordered me to come back here. I had to find someone named Zeppeli. He also said another person was going to travel back as well. He didn’t tell me who, when, or why, just that I was to guard a guy. Knowing too much where I’m from is dangerous. Then, I traveled back, assimilated, and met Tonpeti. He knew that I was not from here, I eventually had to tell him. So, that’s how I met you.” Dire said.

Zeppeli sighed, looking back down at the letter. “Why, why tell me this now? You could have been my partner if you would have told me. Miss Amanda may still be alive.”

“Amanda?” He asked.

“She was apparently someone also placed here. She apparently, is also my descendant.”

“What?” Dire said. “Well, now that you think about it, you both had the same surnames.”

“She died Dire, è morta.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Zeppeli but-“ Dire was interrupted.

“Do you not understand Dire, she’s dead! She died trying to protect us! She died because OF YOU!” Dire winced, his ears began to ring.

“Look, Zeppeli, please understand that I-“

“NO! YOU CLEARLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND! All she ever did was try to _warn_ me! Warn me of the things YOU DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO TELL ME! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME WHY I SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO LONDON ALONE! SIR PARK AND AMANDA PERISHED BY YOUR IGNORANCE!” 

Zeppeli sighed, “If you are wondering where I got this letter, I ran a little investigation on my own after we buried that machine.”

“Wait, you buried the terminator?” Dire sat up. “Zeppeli, are you insane? You need to burn that thing and turn it into ash! Or at the very least, have it shipped off for scrap metal!”

“We did burn it Dire. It is also buried deep beneath the castle of Windknight’s Lot, a place no man can find.”

“That will not stop them! I need to tell you-“

“What? Tell me things that you should have told me before? For years we were the closest of allies, but now, I am beginning to wish that were not true.”

Zeppeli began to walk away.

“Zeppeli, stop! You are being childish!”

Zeppeli did not respond.

“Zeppeli!” Dire cried out.

Zeppeli, again, did not respond. He would no longer talk to Dire for the rest of the day.

\---

Speedwagon happily read through the newspaper, he began to read it aloud. He was overcome with joy about Jonathan and Erina’s recent marriage.

“’Heir to the Joestar fortune, Jonathan Joestar weds Erina, only daughter of the Pendletons. The couple will travel to the Americas.’ Nice.” He reaches for his tea before noticing the time.

“Blazes! Look what time it is! Their ship’s about to leave!” Speedwagon then bolted across the town.

After a while, Speedwagon managed to spot Poco with his sister. Poco was chatting with some fellows from Zeppeli’s group.

“Boy!” He cried out as he rushed towards them.

“Mr. Speedwagon!” He waved back to Speedwagon.

“You almost missed being able to say goodbye.” Speedwagon panted for a moment.

“Sorry I’m so late. So then, where are they? Hey, where’s Zeppeli?” Speedwagon asked.

“They’re both on board the ship. Also, the Baron couldn’t come, he has some business with an old friend, as he told me.” Said Poco.

“WHAT?” Speedwagon gasped in exasperation.

He looked over toward the ship, “And the ship is about ready to sail.”

“What? It is? Where are they? I’ve got to see them!” Speedwagon then attempted to walk towards the ship.

\---

“Now then, Father Styx, Father Daughtry, we expect to hear great things from your mission to Mexico.” Father Styx looked back in worry.

“I’ll certainly do what I can.” He said as he walked onboard the ship. Father Daughtry nodded in agreement. In the distance, a man could be heard calling out to Jonathan.

“Jonathan Joestar, where are you?” He said.

“WATCH WHERE YOUR GOING!” A sailor yelled as he knocked Speedwagon over.

He would have missed that man if this blasted coffin wasn’t so heavy. “What makes this thing so blasted heavy anyway!” He said.

“How should I know, we’ve been hired by that Asian bloke. So, we move it where he says.” He said.

The sailor listened closely to the coffin. Weird sounds emanated from the coughing. It sounded like an odd whirring and clicking sound, accompanied by a soft moan. He stood still for a moment.

“Oye! Di—Did you boys hear that?” He asked. The others responded in annoyance.

“Quit flapping your blasted cake hole! Now move it! We don’t get paid until this job’s done!” The chime of bell could be heard in the distance.

\---

“OW!” Speedwagon yelped. “Ruddy hooligans!”

“Mr. Speedwagon?” Poco asked.

Speedwagon turned his head.

“Look, they’re up there! Hello!” he said as he waved his arms.

“Jonathan!” Poco called out.

The couple waved backed from the top of the ship.

After a moment, the ship blew its horn and set sail. The people below waved and cheered them on. Speedwagon could only look up in awe and amusement.

“Bon voyage!” Poco called out. “Have a wonderful trip!” he said.

\---

Erina watches the sunset over the water. The sky is a beautiful orange, that envelops the entire sky. Birds fly in the distance as one flies over to sit on the railing of the ship. It begins to chirp, Erina looks at it with curiosity and wonder.

“Poor little bird all alone. Did you lose your flock?” She asks.

She gasps as other sets right beside it, the two birds bond, wrapping their heads closely together. Erina gasps and tears stroll down her face. She wipes a tear from her eye.

“Erina?” Asks Jonathan.

“Something wrong love?”

Erina runs over to embrace Jonathan, and Jonathan smiles. He notices the tears in her eyes.

“Dear, what are you crying about?” He asks.

“These tears that I am crying are from joy. Joy that I am here with you.” She said.

Erina looked back at the birds.

“Even as a boy, you strove to be a true gentlemen. A champion of others, no matter the consequence to yourself. And now, that proud and noble Jonathan Joestar is here in my arms.” She thought.

“And I have you. Although I ask myself, is it enough? Even if I live and a long and prosperous life. Will the fate of humanity not change? Are these machines the downfall of humanity? Will I ever be safe again? Regardless, I will continue to fight for a world that has you in it. I only wish that father could have known you.” He thought.

“Erina, come, supper is waiting!” He says as he takes her hand before smacking the top of the door. He holds is head and winces a bit.

“Um, I wanted to tell you to be careful so you wouldn’t bash your head.” She said,

They look at each other for a moment before laughing.

“I wish that today could last forever.” She thought.

\---

“Damn, it fell into the engine room. That’s a filthy place to go after it.” Father Styx cursed.

He hiccups, trying in vain to grab it from above. “I could just sell it, bet it brings in the shekels.” He said.

Father Styx stumbles as he stand back up.

“Dear Lord.” He said as he took another swig of the alcohol. “You surely do seem to enjoy picking on me.” He thought.

He walks away before bumping right into Father Daughtry.

“Oh, Father Styx, curious to see you up so late.” He said.

A look of panic rushes over Father Styx’s face.

Father Daughtry looks over at the drink in his hand. “My God Styx, have you been drinking?”

Father Styx, in panic, tried to formulate a response to him.

“I need to- I need to go get my Cr- Cross-”

“WHAT? What about your Cross Father Styx, what have you done with it.” Father Daughtry shook him profusely.

“I- I dropped it in the- hic- engine- hic- engine room.” He said as his flushed with embarrassment. He looked like a quivering child who was just caught for attempting to steal candies from the jar.

“YOU WHAT? Oh Styx, what are we supposed to do with you?” Father Daughtry sighed.

“You stay here, I’m going to go to the engine room.” He commanded. Father Styx looked down in disappointment before stumbling back to his room.

“You really do seem to enjoy picking on me.” He said again as he took another swig. That was when he heard a creak. He turned and rubbed his head. After drinking this much, it is hard to tell if that was real or from the machinations of his mind. He continued forward, he heard footsteps scatter across the floor.

As he continued walking, he felt as if someone was watching him. He slowly turned around to be face to face with some sort of creature. It lunged toward him and he screamed, it devoured him.

\---

Jonathan raises a glass towards Erina’s face. Erina shook her head.

“Oh no, I haven’t the experience drinking a man does.” She said.

“Just a bit.” He assured her. “Barely enough to get the taste. It really isn’t that strong at all.”

He raises his glass, “I think it’s good.”

She blushes as he moves the glass towards her.

“Here.” He gestured with his hand.

She took a sip, making Jonathan chuckle. “Perhaps, this is will all be okay.” He thought.

It was only until he looked at a corner of the room. What does It behold him, Dio. That could not be Dio though, it was the machine. It somehow managed to come back. It looked at him for a bit and smiled, before descending into the depths of the ship.

He stood up his hands trembled, “No it couldn’t be.” He thought.

Jonathan gasped in shock. The wine glass dropped to the floor.

Erina looked up at him in concern, “Jonathan?” She asked with a tint of fear in her voice.

“I-Impossible.” Was all he could croak, his face went pale, and his eyes danced.

“There is now way, he’s, it’s alive.” He slapped the side of his head.

“Erina, go back to our cabin, now! And don’t forget to lock the door!” He commanded sternly.

\---

Father Daughtry shook his head in disbelief. How could Father Styx end up this way? How could he be so careless?

He stood over a coffin. It was rather large. The black wood that composed the coffin only heightened his focus on the cross even more. He picked up the cross and put in his pocket. He shook his head again.

“Lord, please forgive him. For he is just a man.” He said to himself.

He then looked at a peculiar lock on the front of the coffin. “How peculiar, this lock is undone.” He said as inspected it closer.

“What a queer site.” He said.

“There is a metal catch inside, is there a lock inside there? Wait, would that mean, the trunk is locked from the inside?” He gasped in horror as the coffin clicked. A red bead struck pierced through his skull like a bullet. This caused poor Daughtry to fly backwards and crash into a large pile of boxes.

An agile figure danced around the room and opened the coffin. Causing another vampire to exit the coffin.

“Thank you for allowing me to assist you, Lord Dio.” Said a small man.

“Halt!” A figured cried as he rushed towards the engine room.

“You can’t escape!” The man tried to assert himself, not allowing his fear to consume him.

“Greetings, nice to see you again Jonathan. Although, that would be a lie, since I do not know of such nice things.” It said.

Jonathan stuttered for a moment, “Ho- How, How the hell are you alive?”

He screamed, “I killed you! I burned your metal body in Windknight’s lot!”

The terminator looked at him and scoffed, “As if it were so easy.”

\---

The moment the terminator’s systems sprung back to life, it shot itself up. It was confused, it looked around for a moment. It tried to assess for any lower body damage, but something was wrong. It could not scan its lower body. It looked at its hands, the nails were oddly long and sharp. His body was paler than normal. It turned to see Weng Chan standing before him.

Its body felt softer, and weaker. What happened to it?

“Forgive me master, but I could not bear to see you in such a state. I reattached you to a new body.” He said as he bowed.

“A new body? What do you mean by that?”

Weng Chan looked at him for a moment and sighed.

\---

As the remaining hamon users fought off the rest of the vampire and zombie horde, a red-haired vampire managed to get away without a scratch.

He knew it would be futile to fight back, it needed sometime to prepare.

He then came across small man holding something in his hand. The vampire looked at him curiously, “Oye, you what the bloody hell o you think you-“ He turned to see the small vampire holding a head. It was no ordinary head, but a head belonging to that metal man that’s managed to help for this whole time.

“What, where did you-“

“Do you wish to live?” The man asked him.

“I-“

“Then come with me.” He said as they both dance across the rocks. The moonlight lit them in their escape into the darkness.

\---

The two vampires managed to run all the way to an abandoned shack in the outskirts of Windknight’s Lot. The sun was about to rise in the distance, they needed to get in soon. The shack was old, and the wood creaked and moaned as they took a step. This made the red-headed vampire irritated.

“Why did you bring me here?” The vampire asked.

The smaller vampire only looked at him in annoyance.

“You should thank me, if not for me, you would have been finished off by the other hamon users.” He said.

“YOU DIDN’T ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION YOU WHELP, WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE? OR I’LL RIP YOUR ARMS FROM YOUR BODY!!” He commanded.

“If you really wished to know then come here.” The small vampire said as he opened a door, it whined as he shut it behind him.

“Bloody hell.” The other vampire cursed.

As he entered the room, he felt like something was off, it was a bit dark. Suddenly, the smaller vampire appeared behind him, decapitating the vampire.

The head flew towards a window, the smaller vampire opened the curtains. The vampire head shrieked as the sunlight charred him into ash, leaving nothing but his body.

\---

Weng Chan carefully placed the body on the ground, he shifted the head, so it was in line with the body. The head slowly whirred to life. Metal wires protruded from the neck area of the body. The wires then buried themselves into the neck of the body, attaching the head to the body.

Weng Chan sighed in relief.

\---

The terminator shifted its weight. It felt lighter, it wanted to get out but Wang Chen stopped him.

“Master, you have to eat first.” He spoke.

“Eat? I do not need to eat.” It said.

“You do need to eat. You’re new body is not like your old one. It needs fuel.” He said as he brought out a woman, who was screaming in agony. She had short curly hair, she looked up at the terminator.

“Please! Please spare me!” The terminator then touched her neck, before sinking its claws into her flesh. The terminator almost felt a bit of shock. It could feel the blood draining from her body and going into it. After a while, it removed it hands. The girl collapsed to the floor. It could see that her heart was beating slower, and slower, before eventually stopping.

It examined its hands once more. It almost wanted to be angry, it wanted to smash Chan’s head in and tear it to pieces. Although, it at least had a body. Still, his other body was perfectly fine, what prompted Chan to do this?

It then stopped for a second more. It then thought about its current situation a bit longer. Perhaps, this situation can play into its favor. All it needs to do is plan and wait for the moment to strike.

\---

Erina sat there for a moment, she was worried by the way Jonathan walked away unannounced. Something must have been off.

“Jonathan is so upset. Something is wrong.” Erina thought.

Erina then went after Jonathan, she just wanted to assure his safety, after all. What she didn’t seem to notice was the man sitting with his wife began to growl. This terrified the poor woman clutching the child.

\---

“What seems to trouble you brother? Are you happy to see me again?” It asked Jonathan.

“Don’t call me your brother, my real brother is dead. You will never be able to replace him.” Said Jonathan.

The two locked eyes for a long moment. Rage overcame Jonathan.

“What are you here for anyway? To kill me?” Said Jonathan.

“What else would I be here for? For a human, I will give you some credit. With your strength, and determination, you’ve been able to accomplish all that you have set your mind too. However, your meddling has cost us a chance to eliminate humanity for good. If such a thing as fate does exist, you seem to have in plentiful amounts. Today on the other hand, has turned for you.” It said cunningly.

“Silence demon! Whatever you’re planning to do! I’ll be ready!” Jonathan said.

Weng Chan chuckled for a moment, his eyes seemed to have lit up. “Allow me to be the first to take him out Lord Dio.” He said smugly.

“Go ahead,” It said bluntly.

“Wait, What, those eyes, I-“ What appeared to be a stream of light poured from his eyes and struck Jonathan before he could finish.

Jonathan attempted to cover with his hands, but the light struck straight through his hands and into his throat. Jonathan croaked.

It was only until Erina came in that things took a turn for the worst. “Erina.” Was all Jonathan could croak.

Jonathan backed up against the post of the ship, more blood spewed from his throat, he then collapsed to the wooden floor beneath him.

“No Jonathan!” Erina whimpered.

“Erina.” Jonathan tried to mouth.

“Erina Pendleton, is it? Or is it, Erina Joestar now?” The terminator looked towards the woman.

“It seems after I have made do with Jonathan, you will be next.” It said bluntly.

Erina backed away in horror.

“Although there is a slight feeling of curiosity in me, has Jonathan ever told you of me? The evil that dwells there in the darkness, I would say.” It asked.

“Dio?” Was all she could ask before hands emerged from the wall behind her.

Erina turned around and gasped. Screams could then be heard come from the hallway.

“The ships full of monsters! Run!” A man cried as woman carrying a child ran with him.

One of the zombies through a lifesaver at him, striking him right in the skull before crushing it to pieces. He fell to the ground with a thud.

Another zombie with an axe pursued the mother and her child. The woman gasped, clutching her child. It attempted to swing at before she managed to throw herself into the engine room, saving her child. Her child began to wail, filling the room with a feeling of utter despair.

Weng Chan laughed at the commotion. The terminator almost began to smile, “It would seem infecting one of the passengers caused an outbreak in the entire ship.” It said.

Weng Chan responded, “Well done, Lord Dio! Everything is going according to plan! And now we will proceed to America. Isn’t that right, Lord Dio?” The terminator nodded.

The two approached the helpless Jonathan, or what seem to be helpless.

“I can’t speak. I can’t even take a breath. I have to move. Erina, ERINA!” Jonathan thought as he reached out to Erina.

“Wait stop, he is trying to do something. Only move when I order you to.” It said sternly.

“I have to save—” Jonathan’s hand was then blocked by Chan.

Chan smirked

“Can’t gather Hamon.” He thought.

“Well, how the mighty have fallen! This sniveling whelp can’t even draw a proper breath now. He’ll be causing no more mischief with his Hamon. This is what he gets for crossing you, Lord Dio. Now, we are going to play! Or, maybe, I’ll just sit quietly and watch while he suffocates slowly.” Weng Chan took another.

“Silence! I ordered you to stop!” It commanded.

It then looked at him dead in the eye. “Remember what I told you.”

“By severing his head in a painless manner? To ensure that he is dead?” Chan asked.

The terminator nodded.

“Jonathan!” Erina cried.

Jonathan then took a stance, shifting his body weight on the post next to him.

“He’s going to try something with that pillar, I order you strike him now Chan!” he said.

Chan nodded before lunging towards Jonathan.

“Well Jonathan Joestar, I’ll scoop out what little brains you have, with my bare fingers!” Chan screamed.

“Must save Erina. I have to use the last bit of Hamon left in me, all at once. Please work.” He thought.

Jonathan released the last of the hamon within his body.

Chan’s head then burst into flames, he screamed as hamon devoured his head.

“Something broke inside my body. Something important.” He thought.

“What have you done?” The terminator swore as it scoured away to scan the situation.

As Jonathan collapsed to the floor, he thought of everything that has led him to this point. Amanda, Erina, Dio, he cannot give up now. He has to fight for their honor, their memories will not die in vain.

“This is the end. The last hamon I have. Too weak to destroy that vampire completely. But it was enough.” He thought to himself.

The terminator assessed the situation, it almost wanted to scream, but it realized that would be useless in the current situation. It appears that Jonathan somehow interrupted the functions of Chan’s body. However, his body remained completely intact. It clings to a piece of machinery. The device it held onto was the paddle screw shaft. This human, it then wanted to chuckle. Clever little human, what good will this do but assure both their destruction. Jonathan plans to use the ship as a time bomb.

“Well done, human. I will give you some credit where it is due. You managed to shift a terrible position into your favor. It is clear to me now how much your kind vexes the machines. Unfortunately, you shall vex us no longer.” It said smugly.

“Jonathan, what’s happening?” Erina asked. Tears steamed down her face, why did have to happen to her. Why must the lord take her husband?

“Why is this happening to us?”

“Y-You must leave Erina, soon, the ship will be destroyed.” Jonathan said softly.

“I don’t know how the things that are occurring today are possible.” She said.

“It’s all too impossible to bear. I don’t know whether I should cry or scream. Perhaps I should just faint dead away and block it out. But there is one thing I know. Erina Joestar will remain with her husband.” She said as she brough his hand closer to her.

They kissed for one final time.

“In the warmth of these lips, I feel the cool ebbing of his life. Jonathan Joestar is dying, but we are together. I want to stay like this until the ship explodes, and everything burns to ash. Until everything is gone.” She thought.

The screw shaft began to burst steam under the weight of the pressure. The ship was near its breaking point.

Jonathan reached out his hand to brush away a tear from Erina’s cheek, he then pointed to the small child in the distance. The child was still wailing.

“It’s alright if you cry, but you have to stay alive and go on.” He assured, trying to remain strong, even when he neared his untimely death.

“Just like in a storybook. You want me to come to the aid of a helpless child and escape to safety? That’s unfair! Just sheer cruelty. The only thing I want, is to end my life here with you.” She whimpered.

“That woman died trying to save her child until the last. My own mother did the same for me.” He said.

“Save yourself. Take the baby, hurry!” He assured her.

Then, zombies emerged from the walls, reaching their way towards Weng Chan’s body. More steam burst from the pipes, the pressure was reaching its singularity.

“The end has begun.” He thought.

A large explosion was felt across the ship. Three pieces of shrapnel made their way into Jonathan’s body as he tried to protect Erina.

“Jonathan!” She said.

The terminator then grabbed Jonathan by the back of the neck. “I’m afraid that this little reunion of yours is over. I do not care what happens to me once this is over, but if I were to somehow fail at eliminating the both of you, know this. I will do everything in my power from now on to eliminate the Joestars, I will ensure the destruction of your entire family. No place will be safe, and you shall never sleep again.” Its eyes locked with Erina’s, it was like it was staring directly into Erina’s soul. A sense of dread came over Erina.

It then raised its hand towards Jonathan, it then came down upon him. This time noting will stop it from cutting off the target’s head.

Once it tried to swing down on Jonathan’s neck, Jonathan grabbed the shrapnel of his back. It grabbed the shrapnel. It shrugged, did he really think that this would have saved him? Another explosion occurred, odd, it felt like its head was about to come off. Wait, it was. A blast managed to managed to separate it from its new body, although slightly.

“Jonathan!” Erina screamed as she stumbled backwards and into the coffin.

The terminator fell forward, right into Jonathan’s arms.

Jonathan held it tightly, it could feel that the grip it had on its body was slipping. It tried to move the body, its hold was getting weaker by the second.

“Dio, even if you really are not. You remind me so much of him. At the very least, I will be able to see him again. Perhaps our fate is to be together. Still, I somehow feel an odd warmth for you. For now, our lives are interwoven completely. And will end along with this ship.” Jonathan thought.

Jonathan looked at Erina one last time, before smiling. “Farewell to you, my beloved.” Fire burst through the entire ship, causing Erina to take cover in the ship.

“I do not need this, release me at once.” It sliced Jonathan’s neck open, and idea then popped into its mind.

**Jonathan Joestar died February 7, 1889**

The pressure has finally reached its precipice, the entire ship burst into flames. Fire consumed what was left in the ship. Soon, the whole ship erupt, lighting the area around like a star that just underwent a supernova, like its gust spilled across the vast empty space to form new worlds.

\---

_“Jonathan Joestar passed away into undeserved oblivion. His life was an important part of history, but invisible to ordinary people. Most of humanity, for whom he sacrificed, will never know of his noble accomplishments, but his descendants will.”_

Erina unlocked the coffin, grasping the baby that was still in her arms. The night was long, causing her to be almost blinded by the sunlight, however, she was still charmed by its presence.

“The life within me, newly created by Jonathan and I, will certainly hear this story.” She thought.

Erina then laid back down in the ship, holding the child in her arms.

Erina was soon rescued afloat near the Canary Islands.

\---

Speedwagon was getting nervous, he didn’t hear from Jonathan, or Erina in weeks, it has been nearly half a year. Still, no sign of them. He did not get a chance to read the newspaper yet, but at that time, he wished he hadn’t. As Speedwagon took his stroll, he heard a scream. It was loud, and angry.

He turned a corner, peeking over slowly. From a distance he saw the familiar shape of Zeppeli. Zeppeli had his hand on his face. He then punched a wall in front of him. It nearly obliterated the wall. A large crater surrounded the wall where he punched it.

Speedwagon looked at him curiously, “What’s seems to have gotten him all riled up?” Speedwagon then approached Zeppeli with slight caution.

“Zeppeli, are you alright?” Zeppeli seemed to ignore him, he continued to punch the ground. His raging wails echoed throughout the city. A crowd gathered in concern.

“Zeppeli? Are, are you alright? What happened?” He tried to ask.

He was close enough to touch his shoulder.

“Zeppeli?” Zeppeli gave one of the coldest, and terrifying looks that Speedwagon received in his entire life.

“You don’t know?” Was all that he could say.

“What?” Speedwagon asked.

“LOOK FOR YOURSELF!” He practically threw the newspaper in his face.

After reading it, Speedwagon was horrified. He nearly dropped the newspaper.

“No, no, this- this can’t be!” Tears streamed down Speedwagon’s face.

The newspaper read, “Disaster strike ship crossing to Americas, only survivor found in the Canary Islands.”

When continuing, it said, “Erina Joestar told reporters that her husband died in the disaster.”

“How, how can this be? We, destroyed it, we- no! Wait, when we discovered the terminator, it didn’t have a head. Could it be, could it be that it survived! Bloody hell!” Speedwagon put his hand to his head.

“Why God? Why let this happen!?!!” he cried. Speedwagon had to stop himself from crying. If he thought to hard about it, he would just think of Amanda again. It was unfair, all that happened to poor Amanda. Speedwagon only wanted to see her leave and survive this hell. All he ever did was to ensure her safety, and yet she died the cruelest death. First Amanda, now Jonathan? He struggled to bear with one untimely death, but two? It was almost soul crushing.

Speedwagon had to run away from the scene, letting Zeppeli go off in an enraged fury. He needed someplace to have a good cry. He did not want anyone to see him like this.

\---

Once he found a place where no one he could see him, he began to cry, that was, until he heard a cat hollering. It sounded, so, sorrowful. It nearly startled him. He watched as a black cat emerged from the shadows, it hollered for a long while before stopping.

He almost wanted to scream at the cat, but what good would that do. He stood up, almost startling the small cat.

“Oh, it’s okay buddy. I am not going to hurt you.” Said Speedwagon.

It ignored him and continued hollering.

Come here, do you want something. It inched closer to him, sniffing the are around him. he slowly reached out his hand to the cat, it sniffed his hand. He scratched the cat’s head. It then drew back and look at him.

“Look, I’m not going to hurt ya, alright? Just going to site right here, and drink.” He sat down for a moment before the cat got closer to him. It sat right next to him. He could tell from the movements of the cat, it appeared depressed almost. Like it lost something dear to it.

“Something got you down buddy?” Said Speedwagon. The cat laid down with its hands covering its head. Speedwagon pet the cat for a while.

“Me too buddy, me too.” He said as took a swig of the alcohol. It hit him very hard.

“Me too…” 


	10. EPILOUGES: Passion and Pain – A collection of events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of events that have occurred since Judgement Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, before I begin the next part, I'm going to add some epilogue stories to set up for future parts. They're going to be at the end of every part. I hope you will like these stories. Also, for a short warning, the stories involve very sad deaths so please keep that in mind as you read!

**EPILOUGE 1: Pandora’s Box**

_Let’s all meet again inside the next ecosystem._

**ORTYGIA – ITALY - 2019**

Four gathered around the entrance of an old cathedral. Each stood guard, waiting for anyone or anything bold enough to tear through them and enter it remnants. Remnants, as they say because there was nothing really left of the cathedral. Madeline, one the guards around the entrance, scratched her head. What was this place called? The Duomo, was it? She looked at the Duomo for a moment and sighed sadly. It was such a beautiful church, such a shame as to what happened to it.

The roof of the church had been obliterated, half the remaining architecture outside also collapsed, revealing the inner organs of the cathedral. The statues that once greeted churchgoers on the upper levels had been knocked off, shattering on impact. The inside of the once gold and gleaming church was more a dull yellow-green due to being exposed to all the dust and grime from the outside air. The paintings that once flourished the apses had been carved away due to years of neglect. She took a good look into the inside of the church. A chandelier that once illuminated the ceiling crashed down on the choir. The windows that once surrounded the ambulatory were shattered. Pews that once populated the sides of each aisles were rotting away or almost gone. She heard what happened to this church by the locals but never could bear to imagine it in the state it was now.

Apparently, when Judgement Day happened, Ortygia was near the impact radius of one of the bombs. This in return, nearly obliterated The Duomo. Some of the locals and members of the church tried to go back and rescue what remained, but Skynet forces were too vast and numerous to fully save the church, leaving The Duomo, like most things since Judgement Day, to rot away. The church in return, was left to succumb to nature’s forces. She took a good look again, other members of her squadron were in the building, either hiding or patrolling the outside for any potential sign of _le macchine._ Or the _diavoli di metallo_ as members of the squadron named them.

“Don’t forget what you’re here for.” She thought to herself.

Of course, she couldn’t forget what she was there for. Apparently, Connor had set his sights on this town for months. Most of the cities in upper Italy were under Skynet’s control, but Syracuse was a special case. When Judgement Day happened, all those who happened to live in Ortygia either fled or died. In this case, Ortygia was abandoned. There were things the other Italian cities that had more to offer for Skynet: materials, supplies, and whole populations it could now enslave to run it all. Since there were better opportunities up North for potential shipping routes, it left Syracuse unguarded. However, unguarded does not mean absolute hell to get to. It took the resistance weeks of skirmishes, guerilla tactics, non-stop scouring, and covert boat operations for them to even reach cities such as Catania. Then, they had to make sure Skynet forces did not travel southward in return.

There was a reason to go through this hell of course, there was apparently something that Syracuse was hiding. A long secret that has span back to civilizations such as the Aztecs. Apparently, places like Ortygia were the site for Nazis back during World War II. In their non-stop quest for power, there were rumors of objects that grant those who seek them, immortal life. In a sense similar to the Holy Grail. All she kept thinking about was that one Indiana Jones movie back in the 1989. For some reason, as she overheard, that it was imperative the Skynet never get its hands on this thing. She never understood why Skynet would care for such a thing. It never had life to begin with, so why would it care about something that would bring humans immortal life? In fact, why try to obtain something that would bring humans immortal life? Would that be a little contradictory to its own goals of eliminating humanity? She shrugged again, still though, if it’s what Connor wants. Still, she found it odd that Connor would be so deadest on confiscating something that was only rumored and supposedly has the power to “bring immortal life.” Although, the leader of the resistance becoming an immortal god and smiting Skynet would be nice. Yet, that would probably never happen based on the mission assigned to them.

Three figures from the shadows begin to approach the four from the distance. This must be the last of the scouring teams here to confirm that there are no more _macchine_ nearby. The mission is to have scouring teams scan the area to ensure no-one was around before searching for the object. Someone who knows the path to the object on the inside of the church will then partially break it. Then, this object will be brought to Cairo where it will be completely dismantled.

The three get closer before one of the guards yelled at them to stop.

“Fermare! Show yourselves! Amicos o Nemicos?”

“Amicos, we come in peace.” Said one in the middle.

“Nomi?”

“I am Cognilio Fettuccine. The two next to me are Bue Insalata, and Cervo Pomodoro.”

Of course, this wasn’t necessary. However, this was the procedure. Everyone obviously knew each other’s names. Still, one can’t be too careful. There were rumors not so long ago that Skynet managed to make _macchine_ that looked and sounded like a man in every way.

“Cornelius, get the cani!”

The dogs, of course, were also a safeguard. Apparently, it was suggested that they used dogs to sniff out any potential _Macchine_. The squadron she was in never encountered one of these, but its safe to say that you can’t be too careful in such manners. As the dogs made their way to sniff the group, the one in front pulled out a plasma rifle and shot the guy right next to Madeline

Madeline fired back, along with her teammates and groups station in the church above. For some reason, they did not go down. It seemed like they were unphased by the assault of plasma rounds. They fired back, shooting and killing the guards stationed out front. Madeline took cover behind a damaged statue out front. Members of the squadron stationed on the higher levels of the church were being shot down, causing them to fall to the ground below. Others began to fall without the help of the three massacring them below, there must have been snipers stationed somewhere. A large explosion ricochet across the church, causing her to fall on her butt.

“Shit, it’s an ambush!” She screamed.

“But wait, how is this possible. There shouldn’t have been any of these stubborn _Macchine_ nearby. How did they get so close?” She thought to herself.

She can’t run into the church now that there is a full-blown assault going on, what was she going to do? She was caught dead in the open with no way to get out. They had already had another plan just in case such an event like this would happen, but could the person in charge of the object manage to get out safely? It was a risk, but she ran into the cathedral at break-neck speed. There is only one way to make sure the _macchine_ never got their hands on the object.

\---

Tigre panicked as soon as he heard the blasts, but he took a deep breath to cool down. There was no time to panic in situations like this. He needed to get the object now or it was too late. If Skynet ever got its disgusting metal claws on this, he would never forgive himself. After finally approaching the relic of Saint Lucia, he began to count the bricks along the side of the wall.

“Sette, sei, cinque, uh, quattro, tre…” He counted away from the relic.

“Wait, no, that’s not right.” He said to himself.

“Sette, tre, quatro…” A feeling of joy rushed over Tigre, he finally got it right. He paused on a brick that looked like any other ordinary brick.

Soon after, he took a pulsar gun, and fired into the wall. He fired about three times before finally breaking the block. He dropped the gun, reaching his hand into the wall. He brushed away the dust that remained and caught his eye on a peculiar stone mask. For a second, he was slightly confused. He expected the object to be some sort of chalice, like the holy grail. How could a mask supposedly bring eternal life?

He brought out the mask from its tomb. He looked at it closely, examining the finer details of the object. It was very old. He gave it credit for that. It also had an odd inscription on the back of the mask. He figured it must have been some sort of hieroglyphics due to their look. He tried not to drop it, but it felt very bulky for something of that size. He kept thinking to himself for a short while. It also felt malevolent, like there was some sort of dark energy trapped within the mask.

“What was I supposed to do when I found this?” He kept thinking to himself for a while.

“Was it something along the lines of, ‘Blood is life?’ What the hell does that mean?”

“TIGRE!” The voice nearly made him jump out of his own body. His hand shook, almost causing him to drop the object. He turned to see it was Madeline.

“Cristo! Madeline! Don’t scare me like that you _stronza_!”

“Sorry, but we don’t much time. Our forces are faltering and those damn _macchine_ could be on our trail at any second. Is that the object?” She pointed at the mask.

“Yes, yes it is.” He said confidently.

“ _Bene_ , now let’s get the hell out of here.” Before they got the chance to run a huge explosion echoed throughout the church, knocking them both on their feet. Tigre managed to hold the mask safely in his arms before falling to the ground.

The impact made Madeline cough up blood, landing right on the mask.

In return, the mask began to shake violently causing large needles to protrude from the inside. This caused Tigre, to shriek, dropping the mask to the ground. After a while, the needles protruding from the mask disappeared, causing the mask to fall over on the “face.”

Madeline in a hurry, grabbed the mask while yanking Tigre by the arm. No time to wonder about what just happened, for all she knew, the _macchine_ were up their asses. They ran down hall after hall in attempt to escape but the with debris falling all around them it was hard to tell where had to go. She always had her pulsar rifle in hand just in case one of those _macchine_ appeared in front of them. One escape was blocked off, so they had to hightail it in another direction. A stray blast from a pulsar rifle hits Madeline in the back, causing her to fall.

Tigre worryingly calls after her, he tries to grab her, but he pushes her away. She insisted that he would go on without her.

“What, no! I can’t leave you here!” He said in alarm.

“GO!” Was all she would say.

Another one of their squadron tried calling out to them, but from all the chaos it was essentially futile as it would never reach them. The man behind, Cornelius, could see a figure try to approach. So, he instinctively threw a grenade in his direction as he saw Tigre run away. The grenade lands right next to the figure, it explodes, but strangely, it has no effects on them. What once appeared to be a man was now covered in blood, it was the distinct look of the _macchine_. It fired a round in his direction, causing him to fall back against a wall. The shot killed him before he even fell to the ground.

As Tigre ran across the hall, he came across one of the _macchine._ A stray round from a pulsar wiped the flesh of its eye but revealed its mechanical interior. It gave Tigre a lifeless glare, he yelled, firing a pulsar gun at it, nothing happened. He tried to run away before the thing managed to shoot him the back. Tigre practically slammed into the marble ground, practically kissing it. The mask slid from into the depths of the hallway.

He could feel the machine get closer to him, but there was no way he could let that thing get its hand on the mask. He tried crawling to the mask, but the thing managed to step on his hand, preventing him from moving forward. It bent over and picked up the mask. For a few seconds, it was engrossed in the detail of the mask. Then, it took a case that it strapped to its back and opened.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing? Does your master even know what its doing?”

It set the case down gently, then carefully placed the mask within the case. It was like Tigre wasn’t even there.

“Hey, I’m talking to you stronzo. Do you know what’s even going to happen?” He said with pure rage.

It then took the case and strapped it back on, it was like a backpack. Tigre would have to admit in that moment, for a robot it sure seemed convenient, but that is the only thing he would ever give the _machine_ credit for.

Even though Tigre had his doubts, he felt like a great evil just happened today. This mask, in its dark power, will create something more horrifying than Skynet could ever accomplish.

“You’re going to kill us all, I know it.” He said affirmingly.

The machine finally looked at him, before aiming the blaster right in his face, Tigre died instantly. 

\---

**EPILOUGE 2: Tales of the Prisoners**

_I am a portrait, which leaves you sighing sadly._

_Oh, Laissez Faire what have you done?_

_I want to run away._

\---

**SCOTLAND – UNDESCLOSED LOCATION – 2020**

There was a small girl on a bed in a tiny room. The room had few defining characteristics: the bed, the toilet, the light, the sink, and the bars at the entrance. She knew it was futile to try and escape, as there was a camera in that room too, it was at the front in the left-hand corner. It was just above the sink. The room was very small, as the bed took up the most space in the room. If she wanted to walk from the bed to the sink, it would only take about two steps. Not like she would use the sink anyway, it was rusty, and covered in stains, possibly blood. Her bony body shivered, as the room was always cold. The thin blankets she had would not help, not like she was going to live long anyway for anyone to care.

She put her knees up against her face and curled up into a ball. How long has she been here? A few months? A few days? It was hard to tell, but all she knew was that she missed home. She wanted to cry, or even scream, but she knew better than to do either. For if she cried, or even dare to scream, it would upset the Tinker-Toys. From her experience, it was best to not upset the Tinker-Toys. She pulled the ragged black beanie over her eyes, brushing away her scarlet bangs. She wrapped herself into a tighter ball and tried to not think about the world around her.

Every day, in some far-off distance, she would hear screams, blood-curdling screams. Either someone got into trouble with the Tinker-Toys, or the Tinker-Toys were having fun. Both options frightened the poor girl, as she could not tell which fate was worse. She wondered when it would be her turn to play with the Tinker-Toys, which she knew would be soon. She tried pulling the thin grey blankets over her head, but it was no use. The Tinker-Toys were making noise again, and whatever she did, she could not block out the noise.

She didn’t want to be in this grimy, dirty, little room anymore, she wanted to go home. She wanted to see her family, but the Tinker-Toys took her away. They locked her in this cage so that she would never see her family again. Maybe, just maybe, she could see her sister one last time, and then she wouldn’t be sad anymore. Although, that would be silly. As the Tinker-Toys were always oh so cruel. Still, she had to remain strong for her big sister.

She thought about a time before she was in the room with her big sister. She remembered the old conversations they used to have. They would be drawing on old paper with their heads touching.

“Sister, what would have they find us?” She would ask.

“What?” She replied.

“The Tinker Toys. What would happen if they find us?” She asked.

“They will try to take us away.” She said.

“What should we do if they take us away?” She would ask.

“You fight back, you show no fear.” She said.

“Will you come back for me, if we get taken away?”

“Yes, you’re my sister. I will not let them hurt you.” She takes off her necklace.

“I want to give you this, so that if anything happens to me. You will have something to remember me by.” She puts the necklace around her young sister.

“Promise you will come back for me?” She asked.

“I promise.” Said her big sister.

\---

Marina was jolted awake by the sound of bars rattling. She gasped and looked up to see a machine in front of her. It was a newer model and a little bit smaller but was still menacingly large in comparison to her. She panicked and but her back against the wall. It nonchalantly walked across the room and grabbed her arm tightly.

“To think that my 19th birthday is a few months, and I’m already thrust into hell.” She thought.

It then proceeded to yank her from the room and force her to walk down a hall. She kept eyeing every cell next to her, to see if any one of them contained her sister. Maybe then, she would find her like she promised. If she didn’t find her, no, she couldn’t think of that. Each cell, a sour face, looking at her in either horror and despair, or complete resignation. All these people, torn from a family, forced to do the dark bidding of an enraged A.I, it filled her with rage.

She had no idea where she was going, or why, all she knew was that she was going to find her sister or die trying. She then found herself in an elevator with this thing. She saw a line in front of her. A line of people, this was not a good sign to her.

“You are to remain in this line unless commanded otherwise, do not resist.” A robotic voice commanded.

“Fuck you, you worthless shite.” She muttered under her breath.

It walked a few meters away, keeping its eye on Marina.

There were some instances, as she was pushed forward, that someone would break out of the line. For every time someone screamed or tried to run away, they were shot instantly. Some cases, a guy was at his breaking point and was willing to get into a fist fight with the machines, in other cases, a child would cry to loudly and attempt to run away. She wanted to cry or stop them, but she knew she couldn’t help her sister if she was dead.

After a while, the line lead down a dark hallway. Marina started to hear screams, around here screams were common, but these were not just ordinary screams, they were screams of sheer terror. As if, these people didn’t know they were about to die. It sent chills down her spine.

“How could they do this?” She would think to herself, but she always found herself on the same answer.

“They don’t have souls. They never did, otherwise they wouldn’t kill children.” She heard this line from her older brother, he was in the resistance. He taught her many things, how to stay strong if she ever found in this situation. How to defend yourself if someone tried to snatch you. How to hold a blaster. She just hoped that he was watching her somewhere, and that she would save her sister.

As she as she found herself at the end of the hallway one of the machines grabbed her arm. She tried to hit it, maybe even stab it in the eye. Perhaps she wasn’t strong enough as squeezed her arm so tight it felt like it would almost pop off. It turned her around and put her arms in a restraint. It then took her to a door along with two others. Another machine entered a code into the door before opening it. She and two others were then forced into a dark hallway.

The hallway was dark, ominous light illuminated the hallway in an eerie red. The hallway had a metallic taste mixed with the scent of blood. She felt an intense dread filled the air. She looked at the other prisoners. All of them looked back at with her with great fear in their eyes. The machines pushed the prisoners forward, the hallway was long and led to a large metallic door at the end of the hallway. There were rooms on both sides of the hallway, she could see into one of the rooms, she then wished she would have kept her head down.

\---

Dex found himself in large white room. There was a black window at each side of the room, a door faced him from where he sat. He noticed he was tied down to a chair, his hands and legs were locked in placed by the restraints. Two other people were also tied down to chairs with him, they were all placed to face each other. One was a darker skinned man with a beanie over his head. The other, he could not really tell, as they had an odd-looking mask strapped to their face. It had a small-eyes and what appeared to be fangs coming from the mask.

“What is with the mask, was this some sort of sick joke?” He thought to himself. 

One the machines entered the room from the door, the door locked behind it. He noticed the machine held a knife in its skeletal fingers. It walked toward the man in the beanie.

“Hey, what the bloody fuck do you think you’re doing?” He asked. It got closer.

“Hey, answer me you little fuck!” He screamed.

The one in the mask whimpered and began to plead for their life.

It grabbed the man by the throat, he croaked. It took the knife, making sure it was as close to the one in mask as possible. Then, it cut the man’s throat. Blood splattered everywhere, landing on the mask. Needles then burst from the sides of the mask and pierced their skull. A muffled scream could be heard coming from the mask, they wiggled and squirmed, rolling around on the floor, they then went limp. In all the excitement, Dex didn’t know the machine walked to the very back of the room.

Dex hesitantly looked at the man the machine just killed. He still had a look of terror still filled his face. Dex bit his lip, unsure of what was to come next. He still wasn’t sure the one in the mask had died or not and that terrified.

Soon enough, the body began to move. Bile filled Dex’s stomach and tried to make its way out of his stomach. Tears streamed down his face, he wondered why this would happen to him. The person in the mask looked at its surroundings, seemingly focusing on its restraints. It began to tug on the restraints until the snapped of the chair. The person in mask stammered before finally managing to stand up.

The mask fell of their face with a thud, revealing a pale blonde-haired boy with what appeared to be red eyes. Dex couldn’t speak, terror filled his entire body, making it harder for him to move. The boy grinned at him, he looked animalistic. Like somehow, he wasn’t a human anymore. The boy looked at Dex with great intensity, like a predator eyeing their soon-to-be prey. Some drool dripped from his lip and onto the floor, he breathed heavily. His right eye twitched for a while, as it was slightly puffy.

“Hey, is, is it okay if I grab a quick bite to eat?” The boy asked desperately.

“I- I’m sorry, it’s just that, it’s been a long time since I had something to eat. Please, I’m really, really hungry.”

Dex drew back in shock, he wondered what the boy meant.

The boy then lunged at Dex, grabbing his throat, knocking him down on his back. Somehow, he could feel the boy’s fingers slide under his skin, he then felt the blood slowly drain from his body. His eyes became blurry, he wondered if this was how he was going to die.

“I’m sorry, I’m really hungry. You just taste so good.” Said the boy.

Dex’s vision then faded to an overwhelming darkness.

\---

After the boy devoured his meal he looked around and began to sniff. He then gazed upon the machine in the room with him. The boy gazed at the machine with profuse intensity, and the machine returning the same look. He then lunged at the machine. The machine’s eyes then turned a dark lavender as the light in the room went from a distilled white to light purple. The boy screamed as his flesh began to burn. He covered his eyes and stumbled around before disintegrating into a pile of ash.

The lights then went back to the blinding-white light it was before, the machine nonchalantly walked over to the carnage, picking up the mask that it just used. It then took the mask and went back through the door it came through. The door closed with a loud bang.

\---

Marina was at a loss, she didn’t want to believe what just happened, but she didn’t want to ignore what her eyes just saw. The other two prisoners simply looked to the ground without saying a word, one began to cry softly.

“Wha- what the fuck was that?”

The machine ignored her.

“HEY, I’M TALKING TO YOU. WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT?”

No response.

“Is this why I’m here. Am I next? Are you going to do that to me next?” She asked again, looking at the room in abject horror.

The machine then pushed the three to the end of the hallway. “PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON, I DON’T WANT TO DIE!! I WANT TO SEE MY SISTER!” She began to squirm, trying to break free of the machine’s grip.

She then felt something hitting over the head, knocking her out cold.

\---

Marina awoke in a cold white room. There was a black window at each side of the room, a door faced away from her from where she sat. She noticed she was tied down to a chair, her hands and legs were locked in placed by the restraints. Two other people were also tied down to chairs with her, they were all placed to face each other. One, a girl with strawberry-brunette hair that she recognized once before, wasn’t her name Chika? The other was tan Asian man with short and spiky steel-grey hair, she didn’t recognize him.

It took a while for Marina to realize that none of these two were wearing the mask. So, the only conclusion in that situation was that the mask was on her. She began to squirm violently, she tried to say something but because of the mask it came out muffled. The machine went behind the Chika girl, and held the knife to her throat.

The girl screamed and pleaded for the machines to not kill, too late. Her blood had already splattered across the other two, caking the mask in her blood. In response, the mask released its needles and dug into Marina’s skull. Marina screamed at the top of her lungs in that moment, as in the moment, she felt the worst kind pain she had ever felt in her life. Then she went numb, her vision blurred, and dark spots formed in her vision.

She tried to sit up, but she felt dizzy, almost lifeless. Then, everything fell into complete darkness. For a moment, it was blissful, that darkness. It was not like the darkness from before, but complete darkness. It felt calmer and more welcoming, as she did not think a single thought. Which meant she forgot the experience of being torn from her sister or being taken by the machines, or the Tinker-toys as she called them. She did not think about those who suffered in these horrid experiments, becoming lifeless monsters before dying an agonizing death.

Then like most things in her life, that was taken from her as well. She slowly opened her eyes, she almost wanted to wince as the lights felt brighter than they were before. She also felt really, hungry? It was like a deep-seated need to feast upon something, something with meat, something with bones, something with flesh, something with blood. Blood is what she craved in that moment. She then shook her head, but why would she think that? It was simple, she was hungry, and the machines needed to die. That was the second thing she craved, the complete destruction of the machines. First, she had to break out of these bothersome restraints, so she did. She then stood up.

Wait, were they going to try and lights upon her? What were those called, ultraviolet lights? She laughed, as if these little toys could lay a scratch upon her. Her cravings need to be put on hold for now, as she had to break out of this room first. The scarlet-red head that only reached down to her chin began to grow. It grew, it curled and enveloped her whole body. It coiled around the man in front her looked at with fear, he squirmed, he wanted to leave. Soon, the hair covered the entire room, its dark scarlet color enveloped the room in an ominous crimson. Strands made their way through the metal door, how easy was this thing to break. She then something trying to break through the barriers of her hair. It stabbed, and it clawed, oh how these Tinker Toys bothered her. The hair wrapped around Toy, it seeped into its body, before breaking it. The hair tore the Toy’s head to shreds, scrap metal scattered across the floor.

The room glowed with a bright purple, causing the outer layers of the hair to wither and turn to ash. She had to leave soon, but first.

“What, what the hell is going on?” The man asked as he looked around.

Marina then revealed herself to him, he stared with intense awe and dread. She looked beautiful, but in the most terrifying way.

“What’s your name?” She asked him.

“Zhu. Are you going to kill me?” He responded.

“No, I have something far better in mind.” She grinned as she took the mask and placed it on him. She used some of the blood from the recently deceased corpse to activate it. Once the needles activated, she kissed the mask.

\---

The small girl cowered in fear as she was strapped onto a table. She began to realize that the Tinker Toy was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do about it. It looked at her with its cold dead eyes before sticking a needle in her, and then another, she yelped before being silent again. After a while, she felt her body go numb, she closed her eyes.

“Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me.

She took a peep through her closed eyes, she could see it had some sort of long, thin, blade.

“Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me."

It was coming closer to her. It put a hand on the table, it brought the blade close to her stomach.

“Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me. Big sister will save me."

\---

She didn’t open her eyes afterwards, but for some reason she felt calm. Like all the fear had left her body. She opened her eyes, the machine was on the floor, and her eyes grew wide with excitement. Not only was her big sister there, but her big brother too.

“Diana! You’re safe!” She ran and hugged her small sister before removing the restraints. The little sister then hugged her big sister again. 

“You came! You really came!” She cried tears of joy.

“See? I never break my promises!” The big sister picked up her little sister and placed her on the ground.

“Can we finally leave now?” She asked her big sister.

Big brother looked down, laughed, before patting her head. “Of course, little one, those Tinker Toys won’t hurt you anymore.”

Big sister then took her hand and dragged her out of that dark room, leaving all her cares behind. Her family is together again, and now she was finally happy.

\---

The terminator stepped outside the room, as something has gone awry. The alert system had gone off which indicated a containment a Level 5 containment breach has occurred. It heard rustling above it, it raised its blaster before turning around and finding itself face-to-face with subject who breached containment. The subject smiled, as the subject smiled, its interface became glitchy before shutting off completely.

\---

Pink hair ripped the door to the surgical room to sunder, the vampire made her entrance with her curly crimson hair. The vampire looked to the subject on the table and paused. She recognized the child on the table, didn’t she? She then saw a peculiar necklace in a dish next to the child. Tears began to build up in the vampire’s face as she shrieked, backing into a wall.

She ran to the child, there was open wounds on her neck and stomach.

“No, no, no, no, no no…” She whimpered as tore the restraints to shreds.

She looked at the child again, the eyes that once filled her life with joy and happiness was gone, replaced with hollow emptiness.

“Diana, no, oh God, oh fuck, no, please, God no…” She muttered as she held the child close to her. The Tinker Toys did this, they did this to her sister.

She set the child down on the table, she grabbed a curtain and wrapped her body in it. That way, the child would be less cold. She grabbed the necklace that the child once wore the necklace and crushed it. She then began to laugh hysterically.

Another vampire entered the room. “What’s your holdup?”

She continued to laugh, murmuring something to herself.

“What?? I don’t understand.” He replied in slight confusion. She continued to laugh.

“Enough of this nonsense! Look, we don’t have much time! There is fresh blood out there that is getting away!”

She then looked the mask gave her eternal life. Her name once was Marina Jenny, she laughed. Whatever, its not like Marina ever meant something to her anyway. Whatever was once left of Marina died, and the illusive Rose Rosetto took her place.

\---

**EPILOUGE 3: The Scarlet Kiss**

_Stop it – Stop It – It hurts_

_Aaaah, your words are so kind, they lead to an embarrassing beginning._

\---

From a far-off distance, at the stroke of midnight, if one could look close enough, they would see the oddest sight. Red hair, it was enormous, and it devoured a facility. It had a major ripple effect throughout the land and the resistance. The resistance themselves were confused as all the first scouting teams could find was the remnants of terminators. They of course, could not find any survivors in the area. Although, there were some that wish they had. A day or so later, another scouting team found four cameras that were almost unrepairable.

From what they could gather, it confused and shocked them. One showed people being forced into a line. The second showed a girl crying in a prison cell. The third showed a room that was massacred by something, the damage was so severed it was too hard to tell. The last, is what confused and terrified them the most. It seemed to show a woman with long flowing red hair, her hair wrapped around a man, a few moments later, the man was corpse. She looked to that camera and winked, before the film cut to black. Of course, only a few members of the resistance realized what happened.

They realized that after the tragedy of Ortygia, Skynet began to experiment with the stone mask as they feared. They hoped that Skynet would have concluded that the mask was too dangerous to control, but they assumed wrong. There were some who wanted to tell the world of the dangers of the mask, but most top members of the resistance declined on making this a reality. Some would get angry and argue that most people needed to know.

“We have to tell people about this! How are they supposed to fight back!?!!”

“They can’t.”

“So why are you keeping this a secret?”

“These people already suffer from the ever-impending threat of Skynet, famines, and not to mention widespread sicknesses and diseases. Can you imagine what would happen if these people learned that vampires existed as well? Nonetheless, can you imagine what would happen to most of the resistance?”

“That’s why we need to tell them!”

“Then what? Start a panic? Up-end the whole resistance?”

“The worst that could happen is that no-one believes it if we do tell them, and the worst that could happen if we don’t tell them is widespread massacres! Do you really want that? Do you really want widespread massacres on your hands, and not to mention, the possibility of a widespread horde of the undead?”

“You don’t really think about consequences, don’t you? Do realize that so many people would defect from the resistance if that happened? Worst of all, side with Skynet? Do you realize how many more vulnerable people will die if this happens?”

“That’s why we should tell them! We can teach them how to fight back!”

“We are already taking care of that part with new drills, should that ever happen.”

“So, you’re really just going to tell them to do shit without telling them?”

“I think that’s enough.”

“But I-“

“I said that’s enough.”

“You know, this kind of bullshit is why Ortygia fell in the first place.”

“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH.”

“FUCK YOU, I’M TALKING TO JOHN CONNOR HIMSELF ABOUT THIS!”

In this instance, Connor issued a compromise. Most resistance camps will hear the unbearable, but only certain people. When the time was right, they would know. However, some felt like it was not enough.

\---

**ITALY - UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - 2020**

In the far-off distance, there was facility. The vampire eyed with a furious intensity, from what she overheard, it housed a gateway to where she could travel back in time. There were guards stationed there, round the clock they would change positions and guarded the facility with immense determination. Determination to keep it away from the public eye. How selfish, that these humans would save all the spoils for themselves.

Ordinary men could not possibly get past them, as they were armored to the teeth. These men had the look that they were ready to kill just about anyone who dared opposed their path. Ordinary men could not possibly get pass them, but she was no ordinary man. Her two lackeys came to her aid.

“How do we get past them?” Asked Nero, the lackey on her left.

“We approach them carefully. We do not let them see us. I want to be as covert as possible. When we get rid of these humans, we travel back using the machine. Do you understand?”

“We understand perfectly.” Replied Zhu, the lackey on her right.

“Now, let the feast begin.” She chuckled.

\---

Al watched over the landscape closely, with his night vision goggles in hand. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, that was, until he heard something. He looked around and turned behind him. Was that perhaps his overactive imagination on this dark night? He shrugged to himself and continue his search with his keen eyes.

There it was, that sound again. Like something scrapping against metal.

_“Skrrrrt.”_

He kept looking overhead, past the building he defended so closely. What was that noise. Then he felt something, something breathing on his neck.

He turned around to see a woman, she was upside down, and enveloped in the largest red hair he had ever gazed his eyes upon. It seems to be strait but curly on the ends Her face was long and narrow, making her ever watchful gaze more intimidating. Still, she seemed beautiful, ethereal almost. like a siren.

He tried to scream, but she shushed him with her hair, before coming in for a kiss, draining all the blood from his body.

She then used to hair to loot his body, once she found a key, she used it to unlock the door, before crawling inside. This allowed her ever agile lackeys to slip in unnoticed.

\---

Len walked down the hall, as it was almost his turn to watch the west corner, but something was off. He was alone, and he shouldn’t be alone. There were usually other people that accompanied him on the shift, but this time he was truly alone. That is when he felt something, it was like hair wrapping around his entire skin.

He felt it prick his skin, it was beginning to drain the life from his body. He looked to his hands. Red hairs had made its way into his veins. He looked up to the ceiling, occupying that metallic ceiling was a woman with red and luscious hair. She took another hair that held a knife and pierced Len with it. Len collapsed to the floor with a thud.

\---

One by one, those who had guarded the facility fell. When she reached the machine, she grabbed one of them, she filled him with her hairs.

“Would you be a kind dear and open this door for me?” She would ask.

“N -No, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You, you will hurt people if I do.” He said softly.

“Oh sweet child, don’t be like that.” She kissed him.

“How about now?” She asked.

He opened the door, and there it was, the machine, their chance to freedom.

“Who is going back?” Asked Zhu.

“We all are silly dear, we’ve discussed this!” She said as she approached the machine.

“To what time exactly?”

“You’ll see my dear.” She said as she activated the machine.

The three gathered onto a platform, the machine whirred to life as it enveloped them into a bright light, but it was bluer and more luminous. Until suddenly, there were not there anymore.

\---

**1958**

In the dark alleyways there was trash, filth, and darkness. Until, a blue electricity emerged from the darkness, lighting the darkness with ferocious intensity each time it manifested. The electricity became less sporadic and more intense, until a bright orb illuminated the alleyway, illuminating the rotten state of the land in a bluish glow. Just as appeared, it vanished, leaving three figures in the darkness. They have made it. A woman with red-flowing hair emerged from the dark alleyway, now they can begin their new life.  
  



	11. Turing Tendency (Battle Tendency) New York’s JoJo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nearly a half-century later we see a new JoJo in the form of Joseph Joestar, and this time, vampires are not his one and only problem. As now, we see another addition in the form of another terminator set back in time, however, will it become problem too? Only time will tell, as that terminator is not the only thing sent back in time to go after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it took so long to complete my latest chapter, but I at least wanted to have something for the new year. This is the furthest I ever got into a fanfic, so I hope you don't mind. As always, constructive criticism is welcome! 
> 
> Happy New Year!
> 
> Edit: Ok I realized i made a mistake, when the terminator was talking about the Pillar Man not all the PiIllar Men, I wanted him to only refer to Santana, I realized that Joseph would know about the Pillar Men later through Strohiem so yeah, oof. I changed but i still can't believe I did that.  
> Also, next chapter coming soon.

**NEW YORK - 1938**

New York, The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, was more sluggish than it is today. As there were still streets unscathed by the light, and in the absence of that light, darkness occurs. That is why Andy and his partner, “Sting” was sent out to patrol, they were strolling down the sidewalk near an old shoe parlor. Sting whistled the tune to a popular song, it had a faster rhythm, but could still be recognized as “A tisket, a tasket.” It was unusually quiet today, and that was suspicious. That is when Sting saw the most peculiar sight, a naked man.

“You see that?” Said Sting.

“Yeah…” Replied his partner.

What made it stranger was the man seemed to act like nothing had gone awry, no, he seemed unphased, better yet, emotionless. Andy heard stories that some of the local brew was tainted. It made one act a bit crazy, but he never seen something like this. The man walked straight towards Andy and his partner.

“What in God’s name has gone wrong with this man?” Sting whispered to his partner.

Andy rolled his eyes, “Probably a psycho, we should charge him for public indecency.”

Andy though could not help but feel a strange sense of dread as the man approached. There was something quite off about how it casually approached the two as if nothing happened. It did not help that unlike the other delinquents and freaks, this one was chiseled, and muscle bound. He had a long, yet broad face with a pronounced jawline with high temples. His brunette hair was short and swept back. His body resembled that of a Greek classical statue. If you looked at the fellow from face up you expect to see the face of a banker, businessman, or even a soldier. You would never expect him be odd man carelessly walking through the streets with no shame.

“You there, freeze! You’re being arrested for public indecency!” Andy yelled in a commanding tone.

The man’s only response was, “I am going to need your clothes, your boots, and your gun. Give them to me now and I will not engage in any further unnecessary action.” His accent, it sounded German.

“Who the hell do you think your talking to?” Sting said in offense. “Don’t forget who is the one giving orders here. Now raise your hands above your head and place them against the wall or we’ll pound ya for resisting too!”

The man got ever so close. He was only an arms-length away from Andy.

“Hey, hey, hey! What did we tell ya! This is ya final warning!” Sting yelled as he and his partner simultaneously pulled out their pistols.

“This is _your_ final warning. Give me your clothes.” Said the man. Despite his authority, Andy could not help to tremble under the man’s presence on the inside.

Andy then fires his gun as the man instantly reacts by smacking the pistol out of his hand, causing the bullet to ricochet across the street. Andy looked down at his pistol to realized that it was damaged, no, crushed. The man then decks poor Andy right in the face, knocking him out cold.

Sting trembles, hesitantly aiming his gun at the man. “Fine, just take it!” Sting says as he throws his gun towards him as he catches it in his hand.

Later that night, a cop was seen walking the lone streets of 10th Ave without a care, singing to the tune of “A tisket, a tasket.” Only if they knew what was really under that exterior of flesh, was metal and wires.

\---

An elder gentleman walks away from a plane and strikes his cane firm into the ground. He waits for comrades, facing another plane. This senior gentleman seems familiar. We definitely know that upright bearing and that scar.

“It’s good to see you again, Speedwagon. I understand you’re an American oil tycoon now.”

Another elderly man approaches Speedwagon from the other plane, two other gentleman walk from behind. The old man tips his hat as he places in his hands as a formal greeting.

“That’s a bit exaggerated.”

“I know.”

There was silence for a mere moment.

The other gentleman clasps his hands together in an image like that of a stigmata, the other gentlemen copy the position he takes. It was a formal greeting for hamon users.

“You look as young as ever, Straits. Hard to believe we’re the same age.”

The elder gentleman remained silent.

“Hamon energy is life energy, right? I envy you.” Said Speedwagon.

“How is Mr. Zeppeli these days?” Speedwagon asked Straits. Straits when silent for a moment, looking down at the floor.

“He is doing quite well for a man at a hundred years.”

“You say that like you’re unsure.”

“Trust me dear Speedwagon, he is doing quite well.”

It has been half a century since Jonathan Joestar made his sacrifice. Zeppeli was the first to take Master Tonpeti’s place after he died, although he was hesitant at the time. This led Straits to be a temporary master in Zeppeli’s place. When Zeppeli finally became a master, he made great efforts with his fortunes and training to aid greater Europe in the elimination of Vampires and Terminators alike. When Zeppeli got too old, Straits took his place as a permanent master. Meanwhile, Speedwagon has had success building a fortune. Together, they’re heading to Mexico to see something. This, _something,_ was discovered by a Speedwagon-funded exploration team. What’s more is that it is a secret, known only to a select few.

“I tell you Straits, once you lay your eyes on this, I believe, no, I am certain you will feel a chill. It’s frightful enough to make even your disciplined hair stand on end. I find it even worse than the terror we faced fifty years ago when we all battled those vampires.”

Straits gasped at the sheer size of the tunnel, “I can’t believe how large this space is.”

“And this is the reason we came here!” Declared Speedwagon.

“What! It can’t be! A stone mask! And there are so many of them!”

When Speedwagon thrust his light on the main figure captured in what appeared to be stone, he gasped. He was an awe in its lifelike qualities. The figures beautiful god-like appearance entranced the room in a chilling yet enamoring silence of shock and awe.

“What is this? Who is that a carving of up on that pillar?” Straits finally asked.

“That’s not a carving. He has amino acids, proteins, and cells, and though its faint, he has a body heat and a pulse. We are looking at a living man!”

“……”

Straits carefully observed the figure.

“Straits, understand who he is, how long he has been there, how he got there in the first place, what the masks are for, none of that matters. We are here for one purpose only.” He said.

Straits continued to study the figure, not very engaged in Speedwagon’s words.

“I brought you because of your hamon ability, so you can use it to utterly destroy him while he slumbers in this stone.”

“And, Joseph Joestar?” Straits asked calmly.

“What?” Asked Speedwagon.

Straits turned around, “Joseph Joestar, how is he doing? I hear he has the ability to use hamon, and has saved your life once.”

“Wha---, why bring that up now?” Speedwagon asked in utter confusion.

“As I recall, he was but thirteen years of age at the time.” Straits continued.

Speedwagon looked at his former comrade anxiously.

“Yes quite young. Your plane was hijacked by criminals who wanted to hold you for ransom.”

\---

A plane whirs across the open sky. A man grimaces as a gun is held to his head. Meanwhile a boy was engaged in a comic-book titled “Baoh!” It was new comic published by a new publisher company known as Marvel.

Another man points a gun to the boy’s head.

“Hey kid, you can’t stay back here you know. Get up front!” The boy looked at the man and sighed.

“You’re hijacking the plane and kidnapping Speedwagon, correct? I am only a bystander, this is his problem. I’m just going to read my story. Do your business and just leave me out of it.” He brushed his hand, attempting the brush away his own captor like he was nothing more than a house servant.

The burglar seethed in rage at the child’s reaction. How dare this child treat like him as nothing more than a dog?

“Wrong answer, punk! Now move!” The burglar screamed at him, thrusting his shotgun into the child’s nose, the force caused the boy to be thrown onto his older caretaker Speedwagon. Blood spewed from the child’s nose onto his dress shirt. The child’s eyes filled with rage.

“Not good… that suit was a gift from Erina! This’ll set him off for sure. He’s got no sense of self restraint.” Speedwagon thought.

The boy growled at the thugs, who pulled a gun on him in retaliation.

“Control yourself JoJo!” Speedwagon cried, but he knew his efforts were in vain.

“You fellows did know there was the possibility of a crash if you hijacked this plane did you not?”

The boy then wrap his hands around the pilots neck as if he were about to crush it with his bare hands. Instead, a wave of electricity flowed through the pilot, causing him to collapse. The boy then thrusted the plane downward, causing the thugs to fall to the back of the plane.

“Is that hamon? Oh no.” Speedwagon cried worryingly.

The boy then plucked the pilot’s chair as if it were a mere daisy. “Here. Get the pilot ready. We’re going to jump.” He warned.

He then yanked the other chair and the two leapt from the plane. The landed in a field of grass surrounding a vast green landscape. The plane crashed on the other side of the forest, lighting up the already bright sky in an orange inferno. It was only a mere moment, until it finally subsided.

“Why can’t you ever just think things through JoJo?” Speedwagon asked.

“I do in fact, a great deal, mostly how to best keep you and Granny Erina safe.” The boy said.

“You two are the only family that I’ve got.” The boy said earnestly.

“He may have his grandfather’s face, but he’s far from being a gentleman.” Speedwagon thought.

\---

“That was the day I discovered that Joseph was able to use Hamon.”

“So, young Joseph inherited the ability to control Hamon from his grandfather Jonathan?”

“Yes, but why are you speaking of him now?”

“And as far as am I aware, you’ve never encountered another Terminator since then, is that correct?” He asked.

“What?”

After that mere moment, the crew that delivered Straits and Speedwagon were massacred in the blink of an eye.

“What the hell? Straits, don’t tell me you’ve been replaced by-“

“No. I can assure you I have not. But do understand, I just took the lives of all these men, and when you lose your life, Jonathan’s grandson will know grief and anger and hate. He will develop a tremendous hatred for me.” Said Straits.

“No! Straits!”

Straits then kicked him across the face, he landed on the ground with a thud. A slurping could be heard as the silence got louder.

“S-Straits.” Straits stopped.

“Have you-Have you lost your senses?”

“I haven’t, in fact, my thinking is extremely clear. I chose Hamon to forge my body into something pure and strong, but as I trained, the aging of my flesh became painfully clear to me. Hamon provides only a small advantage over ordinary people. It cannot guard against the process of aging. In the battle we fought so many years ago, I secretly admired that machine. Although it failed to kill Jonathan, it was cunning, and in some ways, beautiful. It aided ordinary vampires become even more than what they were. Another secret is that I coveted the power granted by the stone mask, I didn’t care who got in the way.” Straits then took one of the masks and put it up against his face.

“You’re a twisted traitor Straits.” Said Speedwagon.

“Your blood will now bring me immortality. With you gone, the only ones to know of the mask and the machines will be Erina, Joseph Joestar, and that old fool Zeppeli. Once I have disposed of them, I should learn more of the mask than that machine ever could. Once this Skynet finally usurps humanity, I will give my undying loyalty to it. You see, although our meeting was short, the machine and I thought alike. We both craved for the mask’s power to improve ourselves.” Straits reaffirmed.

“No, don’t do it. The knowledge you’re seeking could have terrible consequences!” Speedwagon warned. Straits simply ignored him, wiping Speedwagon’s blood on his face with pride. It activated, causing its needles to sink deep into his flesh, his skull, and then finally, his brain. Straits groaned and wailed as its power came over him.

“JoJo… Erina…” Speedwagon gasped before he faded into unconsciousness.

Straits wailing echoed throughout the chamber, almost deafening the loud slurping of blood for which the pillar man feasted in his slumber.

\---

_“It was in the fall of 1938. I was doing my job, just like I always did, eyes peeled for a mark.”_

A young boy walked down the streets, looking at each and every passerby for the opportunity for a clean snatch. Young women, grown men, aristocrats, the working class, at least some of them must of have some shekels they were willing to give. That was when overheard a conversation.

“You gotta be kiddin’ me. You really never heard of this fine beverage?” Said the man at the convenience stand.

“Alright, from your accent. I’d say you’re in from England. Tourist huh?” He said.

The boy eyed the foreigner carefully, people in from England always had good money. This would the ample opportunity to strike.

“No kiddin’? You’re gonna make the big city you’re home?”

He walked towards him, pretending to be another one of the passerby’s. 

“Well, if you want a drink, you’re gonna have to lay down some shekels. Cash is the king around here.” The foreigner finally opened his wallet, he’s pulling out cash. If there was a time It was now. He swiped the wallet from the man. It was so smooth. it was like taking candy from a baby, and that baby had the finest candy in the world. The man selling the soda-pop looked on in a shock. He didn’t say it out loud, but if you were close enough you could see him mouth a slur.

“The nerve of him! You’re not going to let that mook steal your wallet are ya? Get after him!” He said.

The boy leaped and skipped in the back alleyway, he looked at the fine prize he just won himself.

“What a patsy. That was easy as pie.” A large hand then snatched the boys collar, the boy almost gasped in shock as he swung in the air.

“Hey-a Smokey. Looks like I finally caught ya red-handed, ya punk.”

Smokey screamed for his life.

The policeman then took his baton and smacked the poor boy across the head with it.

“What are ya doing on my beat, ya trash?” Blood spilled from Smokey’s head and onto the cold-hard concrete. He coughed for a moment. The policeman then picked up the boy like a ragdoll and pinned him to the wall.

“I’m gonna make sure they lock you up for twenty years.”

“Take it easy sir.” Smokey croaked, “Please sir. I only pinched a wallet.”

“I hate bottom-feeders like you, preying on the public.” He grabbed his head.

“But see, I’m nice. I’ll do ya a solid. I’m gonna let ya bring me twenty dollars every week. Also, half of everything you glom, punk.”

“But I- I can’t do that.” He said.

“Too bad punk, maybe ya should have thought for a moment before ya began swiping, hehehe…” The fat cop and his partner shrugged out a hearty laugh.

“Hello!” Said a voice. Smokey turned to see it was the Englishman he saw from earlier.

“Hey, it’s the pigeon that got his wallet lifted. This is evidence so I’m gonna to be keeping it.” The Englishman looked at them and sighed.

“Well, now, how shall I put this? Here is what happened. There actually is no crime since that wallet was a gift, Constable.” He took of his hat and brushed his hair. There was an odd era of charisma emanating out of the man.

“A gift?” Smokey thought, “I practically swiped his money in broad daylight, how could the hell could it ever be considered a gift?”

The policeman looked on in shock for a mere moment.

“For some reason, this six-and-a-half-foot giant of an Englishman was covering for me.” He thought.

“So then, sir.” He placed the hat pack on his head.

“Would you please return both wallet and boy?” He asked.

“What’d you just say?” The fat cop growled.

“As I said, it was a gift.” The Englishman replied.

Smokey gasped in disbelief.

“He and I are good friends. Let him go, please.” He said.

The policeman then threw Smokey to the ground, who made a hard thud as he fell.

“A good friend, eh?” The fat cop said as picked his nose.

He put a hand on the Englishman’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re good friend’s name is?” He said as he pulled out a booger.

“Hmm… What’s the matter, limey? You want to see what a New York pokey is like, huh? Here’s a present for you.” He said as he outstretched his hand, plopping the booger on the Englishman’s face. The Englishman winced in return. They both laughed at the Englishman as the fat cop wiped his finger on his coat.

“That’s curious. Help me understand. Why would you do something like that? It’s just an unsavory thing to do. There is no reason!” He said.

“There is no reason! I do what I like, whenever I feel like it, ya fool!” The fat cop growled angerly.

“But if someone wipes a booger on your face, it probably means that—” The Englishman than decked the cop right in his face.

“You’ve made the wrong move, you stupid pig!” The fat cop whimpered and snarled like a feral dog. The Englishman punched him so hard several teeth were knocked out, as well as his finger punched way too deep into his nose.

His partner looked on in awe, before finally taking out his gun. “You were shot for resisting arrest!”

The Englishman spat, “Please, try to shoot me. But I am warning you right now, before you can pull the trigger, I will have broken you finger like a rotten matchstick.”

“Not from over there! I’ll blow your damn fucking brains out!” He cocked the gun, it was ready to fire. Smokey looked on wearily.

Then, the most unexpected thing happened.

_“Suddenly, his body started to give off some sort of glow.”_

The bottle the Englishman held began to spark with electricity before the bottle cap popped of. The pressure caused the soda to eject a high speeds.

“It was just incredible, the soda cap blew off and flew, as fast as a bullet, straight over to snap the cop’s finger.” The cop screamed in agony as the cap contacted his finger. He dropped his gun. The Englishman than indulged himself in the soda in a very uncharacteristic way.

The Englishman then looked on for a moment before putting his hands to his face.

“Oh, I gave into my temper again. Crap, I’m in for it.” He groaned, “Oh, Granny Erina’s going to be furious.” Smokey couldn’t help but look on in bemusement. Whatever every aura of charisma and elegance this Englishman had suddenly vanished in the blink of an eye.

“He beat down to cops but is scared of his grandma?” He thought to himself.

“I’ll just explain! Granny Erina will understand if I explain, won’t she?” The Englishman worryingly talked to himself.

“Alright, Mister Pickpocket, what say we hightail it on out of here?” He sighed.

As they flew out of the alleyway before anyone could investigate, a looming figure watched over them from the distance. Unknown to both, they were being watched. The figure held his baton and sighed, before whistling a tune.

\---

“So how did you do that?” Smokey asked as they ran.

“What?” Joseph replied.

“How could you do that trick with the bottle cap?”

“Oh, I could always do things like that. It’s kinda like a life energy, its called Hamon. Had a teacher for a short while, Zeppeli, but he wasn’t around for most of my life. He only came in when he learned I could do that stuff.”

“Oh.” Said Smokey.

“From what I’ve heard, my grandfather could do that too, but he died in some sort of boat accident.”

“What about your dad, could he also do that stuff?”

“My dad died in the great war, and no, unfortunately not.”

“But what about your mom?”

“My mother is dead. The only thing I hold near and dear is my Granny Erina and my uncle, Speedwagon.”

They stopped and took a breath for a short moment. Not only did it allow Joseph to catch a breath, but also to take in the city. Joseph did see many beautiful things back in England, but never something as beautiful as this in his eyes. The skyscrapers lit up the sky and reflected the scenery around them. It was like looking into a large mirror, that reflected the light blue and golden colors of the sun. The bridges nearby had a distinct glow, it was welcoming, welcoming in a way Joseph couldn’t describe.

“I really owe you big time. Everyone calls me Smokey, and I’d sure like it if you’d tell me your name sir.” Said Smokey. 

“It’s Joestar. Joseph Joestar.” He said in his returned aura of charisma. “My friends call me JoJo.”

As they walked away, chatting about their own lives. The figure followed them from the distance, casually whistling as he put his hand on his cap. He followed them distantly from the bridge. Wherever they went, he would be watching, and waiting.

\---

Joseph and Smokey walked around the city for a short while, he needed to find his grandmother and soon, as he knew this was the time for her to start worrying. Still, he couldn’t help but admire the scenery around them. The distinct look of the city is what really engaged Joseph’s eye. The dress shops, the parlor stores, the barber shops, the galleries, the life enthralled Joseph. He felt more connected to the city surrounding him, he never really felt this way back in England. Although there was one time, he felt this way when he ran away from home once. He remembered the distinct smell of the larger city, it was not appealing, but it did get his interest. Although Speedwagon discovered him soon after, he didn’t really run away again after that.

As they continued walking, a distinct shop caught his eye, he crossed the street unaware of the car traveling towards them. Its tires screeched to a halt, the sound jolted Joseph out of his thoughts. The driver pooped his head out the side of the vehicle.

“Hey you! Why don’t you get a clue what you’re doing dumbass! Pull your head out of ya ass and see where ya are!” Joseph’s rage began to build.

“Now get the hell out of my way!” Said the driver.

Joseph grabbed the driver by the collar and pulled him to his face. “Hello there! What? Didn’t hear that. I can’t make it out.”

“Would you mind repeating all that? I’d like to know what it was you meant to say…” Joseph got close to the driver, staring intently into his eyes. “In case I have to pound you.” He said in a dark tone.

“JoJo. What is it you’re doing there?” He looked over to see his grandmother standing next to his new friend. When did she find him? Doesn’t matter, at least he is with her now.

“Uh, Granny Erina!” Joseph said.

“I asked what you’re doing with that man.” She said sternly.

“Uh, well you see this man is…” Joseph mind trailed, looking at the distinct yellow color of the car, wait, it’s a taxi. “Ah! A taxi!” He opened the door.

“This way you don’t have to walk so far.” Joseph breathed a large sigh of relief. He admired how he managed to save himself in such a short moment’s notice.

“Thank you, JoJo. You’re such a thoughtful boy.” Said Erina as she was about to enter the car.

“Clime in, Smokey, we’re going for a ride.” She said softly.

The taxi engine roared as the doors shut, they began to drive away.

As the taxi sped away, the figure watched from the corner. An address popped into his head, he stepped into the police car before slowly driving from the scene. He drove in a long route around the city. He did not want to appear that he was following them, but he knew he had to meet them eventually.

\---

“Granny, really. Speedwagon sent for us? And we came all the way to New York simply because he asked? But now we find that he’s not even here? I think his behavior is quite rude.” Joseph said sternly.

“I’m sure that the oil business requires much of his time.” Joseph groaned softly at the response. He had secretly anticipated for Speedwagon to be there.

“Hmm…” Joseph thought.

“Say Granny.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m curious. Was Speedwagon really grandpa’s best friend? Is that all it was? C’mon now.”

“What are you implying?”

“Well, let’s see. Speedwagon was never married, was he? And you yourself are a widow. Well, it leads me to wonder if simple friendship was the only relationship that was going on there.”

Erina reeled back in abject. “YOU ROGUE YOU!” She began repeatedly hammering him with the umbrella. The driver groaned and shook his head, he didn’t get paid enough for this.

“Sorry, ow! I was wrong! Ow! Forgive me, ow! I know Speedwagon is loyal! Ow!” He yelped as she wailed against her own grandson with her blue umbrella.

_“The Joestar family, reduced to a mother and her grandson. The Joestars tended to be short-lived. Granny Erina lost her husband in an accident at sea. She was pregnant with a son at the time. When he grew up, he married a girl who had also survived the wreck. They were JoJo’s parents, later claimed by war and disease. Granny Erina was a gentle and giving woman, even to punks like me or anybody else. Maybe it was because she lived with loneliness. JoJo was the same. This time, however, his basic kindness got him into trouble… thanks to me”_

\---

The group arrived at a fine Italian restaurant where they got some seats. It was a lovely restaurant, and quite fancy too. It had hues of golden yellows and light pinks, and reflected a style known as Art Deco. For moment it was a relaxing and peaceful place, they were about to sit, and enjoy a meal, until that was soon interrupted.

“Hey, waiter. Waiter!” A man yelled out.

“Yes sir?”

“Who decided that that stinkin’ animal could be allowed in here, huh? HUH?” Joseph looked on in bemusement, as far as he was aware, nothing about Smokey was wrong. He met and dined with the same kind of people in England without an issue as a boy, why was it a problem here?

“His smell is ruining my appetite. That kind shouldn’t be allowed in a place like this!” He complained.

“I understand sir, but there is a policy handed down by management. As long as the check is pain in full, we happily serve anyone.” The waiter responded.

“What was that? You happily let beasts like that do their grazing here, huh?” The gangster snarled as he pounded his fist on the table.

Smokey sighed, “Guess I’ll just be on my way.”

Smokey was about to get up before Joseph stopped him.

Joseph growled.

“JoJo.” His grandmother warned.

“You heard him, c’mon. You’re not going to tell me to stop, are you?” Joseph waited in anticipation to strike.

“No, people are entitled to their opinions. But this misbegotten oaf has given insult to our friend. Be mindful of the other guests, now, but teach him a lesson.” Replied Erina.

Smokey gasped, the other guests looked on with mixed feelings, some of weariness, others in curiosity, and some in anticipation.

“I was hoping you say that.” Said Joseph.

The gangster laughed, “Well now boy, looking to fight?” He cracked his knuckles loud enough to sound like firecrackers. 

“Let me help, if the brass knuckles are what you’re looking for, you are not going to find them inside of your coat. You might want to check your back pocket instead.”

“Wha?” Said the gangster. He checked his coat pocket, nothing. He then checked his back pocket and felt cold metal.

“No way.” He thought.

“Next thing you’ll say, ‘You bastard, how could you have possibly known where they were!’”

“You bastard, how could you have possibly known where they were!” The gangster reeled back in shock, he could not believe he said exactly what this kid expected him to say. Was this kid some sort of Witch?

“By the visible abrasions that are on your right hand, its obvious that you your fighting using brass knuckles. You don't appear to have any wounds, so the blood on your shirt is not from you. Therefore, you’ve just come from a fight.”

“Since the blood is on your shirt and not on that pink horror of a coat, it was taken off prior to the fight.” Joseph said sternly.

“And then, after you had completed your assault, the knuckles came off, and that’s when you proceeded to stow them away in your back pocket.” The gangster threw on the brass knuckles into his hand.

“So, what if this kid was Houdini or something? That won’t stop the beating that’s coming for him.” he thought.

“For my next glimpse into the future, you will now say, ‘So what you little punk?’”

“Yeah, so what you little punk, and now you’re gonna get it.” The gangster then blindly aimed for the boy’s face. He pummeled relentlessly until he saw blood fly.

“I got ya!” He cried.

“You like that huh? That’ll teach ya a lesson!” He said. He then thought for a moment.

“Sorry, you missed.” Said joseph.

The gangster reeled in shock. “What have you been punching? I wasn’t the one you were pummeling so happily.” He said.

That was when the pain kicked in, he did punch something, he punched his own fist into it was nothing but mush.

“Oh my God!” He said a blood gushed from his hand, rushing to the floor like a waterfall.

He collapsed to the ground.

“I can predict and counter anything your tiny brain is able to come up with. Do you understand that now, you simpleton?”

This engaged Joseph’s audience, it clapped in applause.

Another man stood up in silence, eyeing Joseph carefully. Joseph reeled to defend himself.

“Please, forgive the behavior of my underling, madam. You’re Erina Joestar aren’t you?”

Erina stared right back at the man. “I’ve worked on a lot of deals with Mr. Speedwagon, you see. He told me some stories about you when him and me were back in London a while back. I’m glad to meet you.” He said as he walked towards them.

“I heard a little something through the grape vine. It hasn’t made it into the papers, yet, but you should know.” He paused for a moment. “It seems that Mr. Speedwagon has been murdered.”

They both gasped. “Are you sure?” Joseph asked in disbelief.

“Rumor has it, the cat who did it was some sort of Tibetan monk.” He said.

Joseph immediately though of Straits, Zeppeli was too old, and was never the type of guy who would suddenly snap like that. At least, that is what Joseph got from his experience with Zeppeli.

Still, he wanted to be sure, “Some sort of monk, could it be Straits?”

“All they’re saying is that the bodies of Speedwagon and his team washed up along a riverbank somewhere down in Mexico. It’s a genuine mystery. Nobody has any idea why they were killed, or where the monk might have gone to afterwards.” He said.

Erina sighed, “Actually, I think I might know. Perhaps… Speedwagon said something a long time ago. It involved Dio, and the horrible stone mask that changed him.”

Unbeknownst to Erina, Speedwagon never told her what actually happened to Dio. He did talk about the stone mask, yes, but never did he once tell her about the terminators. Yes, Dio did give her a strange warning, and she heard of what Amanda did, but Speedwagon told her that Dio had lost all emotion after becoming a vampire. It was only up to her to fill in the blanks, with the details of the terminator removed. To her, Amanda simply aided in their quest to stop Dio. Although, she still wondered if Speedwagon ever told her the full story. She heard what Amanda once said about these “terminators.” Speedwagon simply told her that it was a special type of vampire that cannot be killed right away. Speedwagon never wanted to tell her about the oblivion that awaits her own children and the omnipresent machine that would stop at nothing to eliminate her family. 

Still, she would never forget what this “Dio” told her.

“JoJo, that guy is a mafia man. You can’t trust what he tells you. He’s trying to pull something!” Smokey warned. The mafioso took out a cigar and put it in his mouth.

“Believe whatever you want to, kid.”

“Hold on, try your breast pocket if you’re after you’re lighter.”

“Huh?” Joseph grabbed the mafioso.

“Anyway, thanks for the warning, Smokey. But I believe what this man is telling us. These fellows are only motivated by money. Clearly, information like that is valuable to his organization so I’m inclined to listen to him. HOWEVER…”

Joseph them punched the mafioso in the gut. “…As true as that may be, you don’t simply waltz over here and then just blurt out awful news to Granny Erina. Don’t you see how badly upset you’ve made her with this news? You are very thoughtless!” Joseph then threw him across a table.

“It was fifty years ago, and those events still haunt us.” Erina whimpered.

Joseph put her hands on Erina’s shoulders. “Don’t be frightened, I’m here and I’ll protect you.”

“You mustn’t, Joseph. I’m concerned for you. I don’t want you snared by evil from a half-century ago.” Joseph leaned over to hug his grandmother.

“I’m fine Granny.” He said softly.

“If this is my fate. I accept it fully.” Joseph thought.

_“At the time, I didn’t understand what was going on, but these two, had an unimaginable history.”_

\---

**THREE HOURS LATER**

“Hey Smokey.” Said Joseph.

“What’s going on JoJo?”

Joseph and Smokey were nonchalantly hanging out in a diner in upper Manhattan, it was a nice little shop to stay at.

“Look at this here! See what they’re saying?”

“What is it?”

“Do you think this is true? Can girls really make them bigger? Woo-hoo!” Joseph howled as Smokey took the catalogue.

“Let’s see. ‘Go from a double A cup to a C cup.’ Right, just a bunch of snake oil. Don’t buy into it.” Joseph managed to catch a glimpse of something outside the window, a man with raven black hair. He was dressed in a grey jumpsuit with a long scarf that covered his body.

“Come again?”

“I think $1.25 a pair is too much.”

“Hmm…” Joseph thought to himself.

He stood up. “No. Yes, but…” Joseph went outside to meet his stalker.

“I say, you look rather familiar to me, yet somehow different.” The man simply brushed his hair with his hand.

“Please tell me, have we possibly met somewhere before?” The man walked closer to him.

Somewhere, in the distance, past a street corner, a police car’s engine’s roared to life.

“And why isn’t your breath visible? It’s so cold tonight.” He said.

The car turned a corner, aiming straight at Joseph.

“…..”

“And if my eyes aren’t deceiving me, I think I caught of glimpse of fangs in your mouth just now. Was I seeing things?” The man simply stared back at him in return.

The car sped faster getting ever closer to them. 

“Don’t trifle with me I warn you.” He commanded. The man smiled.

It was right behind them,

“Even if it is in plain sight on this city street, JoJo, I’ll take your life long before you ever become a- Ah—”

Straits managed to see the car barreling behind them. It turned drifting around Joseph, smacking Straits dead on, causing him to fly into the building. Joseph stumbled away in shock. He was very close to pulling out his tommy gun.

Smokey jumped as he saw the body fly into the diner. The other outgoers reeled back in shock.

“What the hell? What’s wrong with that policeman?” Smokey thought.

Joseph stepped back for a moment, he watched as a tall man exited the vehicle, giving Joseph a cold dead stare. Unlike Straits, he had a breath, but something about this man, felt unhuman to Joseph. The way he stared blankly at him sent a child down his spine. Joseph shrugged, no, he was not going to deal with two psychopaths. The other guy must have been some sort of decoy for Straits. A distraction, he must have paid someone to get him off guard. Then, the man dashed towards Joseph at mad speeds. He tried to use his tommy gun against him but he somehow managed to outmaneuver Joseph and take it from him.

“Get down.” Said the man in a cold deep voice.

The man took the tommy gun and began to fire a barrage of bullets into Straits.

Joseph looked on in sheer confusion. Was, was this guy really firing at Straits. He wasn’t really working for him?

Smokey took cover under the table while covering his head, he waited for it all to stop.

“What the hell has gotten into this policeman?” He thought to himself.

After a few long seconds that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, the bullets stopped, leaving nothing but ricocheting bullet shells that danced across the diner floor.

Joseph laughed and brushed his head. “Look I appreciate your help, but I am pretty sure I could have handled that myself. He’s my enemy after all, how am I supposed to take out my revenge if you steal my kill?”

The man looked at him blankly before stating, “Stay outside, it is too dangerous for you to go in.” He spoke.

“Hey, did you hear what I said at all? I got this!” He growled in anger.

The man simply looked at him for a few more moments before walking into the diner straight through the window.

Joseph went after him.

“What the hell? Are you even listening to me? Just who the hell are you?” Joseph asked.

Silence. 

“Joseph what the hell is going on?” Smokey asked.

“That’s what I’m thinking, this weirdo took my tommy gun and-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, that was _your_ tommy gun? Are you saying _you_ were going to _kill_ that guy, Joseph?”

“Guy? You mean Straits? That’s no ordinary guy…” Said Joseph.

The man looked closely at the bullets.

“Bullets indicate an anomaly, strange indentations in the casing.” The man flicked a bullet shell towards Joseph who managed to catch it in his hands. He gasped.

“You’re right, I didn’t catch that…I-”

Straits laid only a few feet away from the man, his body began to twitch as he regained his form. Bullet casings dropped from his body, the man instantly shot up and aimed the tommy gun right at Straits.

“Wait stop don’t—” Joseph warned but the man immediately began firing at Straits. This time he dodged and attempted to trip the man. The man dodged, leaning back against the wall. The man attempted to fire at Straits again, only from him to leap out the window.

“I see now, you are one of those machines.” Said Straits. “And you are just as cunning as the machine I fought fifty years ago.”

“Machine? Straits what the hell are you talking about!?!!” Said Joseph.

“It appears Speedwagon never told you the full story of what happened fifty years ago. Quite strange, isn’t it? These beings are more of a foe than I ever could be to you, and yet they are rarely spoken of.”

The man dropped the tommy gun on the ground, he unloaded what was left of the clip.

“Straits, you better have a good explanation for this or me and my new unwanted buddy here are going to have to fire into you.” 

“You will have ample time to catch up with me JoJo. But it appears our battle has been interrupted by this machine. And to you, my steel companion. Although I grant you with the highest possible respect that I can give, you will still have to pay for interrupting my match with Joseph.”

“Do not come any closer. Any attempts to pursue Joseph will result in immediate consequences.”

“Curious, you side with Joseph. Although I do not understand why, I will find out soon enough. Although, I wish you luck in trying to find me.” Straits then leapt away across the rooftops and into the sky.

Joseph ran out to see Straits disappear into the sky.

“See asshole! You should have never interfered! Now Straits got away, what the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“I will pursue the vampire alone. You will not follow me.” Said the man.

“Alone? What the hell? You’re just going to take on a vampire alone? Also, what the hell did Straits mean about you being a machine? Because frankly, I don’t believe any of this. Who the hell are you, really? An assassin? Someone from Speedwagon’s business?”

“I am a reprogrammed terminator, model T-800, sent back to protect Joseph Joestar from his imminent death.” The man said as he started the car.

“That’s bullshit is what that is! Why don’t you--” Said Joseph.

“I will answer any other queries you have, later, as my current priority is to terminate any possible threats to you.” He said as he looked back at Joseph for one last time before speeding away.

Joseph growled in anger, “Hnnngh, BASTARD! COME BACK HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!”

Joseph continued shouting and screaming at the cop driving away, Smokey looked back in slight shock. If one though lingered in his mind, it was, “What, what the hell actual happened?”

\---

Straits landed on the top of a large skyscraper that loomed over New York. He made a hard crunch when he landed, the coldness of the ground mixed with his blood. The sheer impact made the skin on his heel burst open, but that didn’t matter.

“Hmm, it appears that those machines have made a return.” Straits said as he began to twist his body, it tightened like a coiled spring. Then, with a loud bang, bullets from the tommy gun sprayed over the rooftop.

“Since they have made their great return, it could only mean one thing. It was what I had presumed, Speedwagon’s efforts to eliminate Skynet’s creation were in vain.” Straits felt as the skin on his body began to patch up and heal itself. The bullet wounds were now flimsy scars, which would disappear with time as well.

Straits put a hand on his head, “Although, this does not explain why it would side with Joseph, rather than kill him.”

Straits looked back at the streets below him, the commotion of cars and the motions of pedestrians. The city itself, was like a living creature, the streets were its veins, and the people were its life-giving cells. Life, that Straits would soon suck dry with time. He was entranced at how small they were, it was a complete revolution for Straits. It represented how small and tiny they were compared to what Straits was now. Straits, who only was slightly enhanced was now the apex predator, he smiled. The smile then faded, still, would he ever come close to those machines? Could he possibly outlast them? He then smiled again, he walked towards the edge, teetering on it.

“Fine metal man, I will play your game.” He said as he plunged himself into the depths below.

“Let us see who the real Apex predator of this world is, vampire or machine.” He said as he entered the heart of New York.

“As before dawn rises, one victor shall remain.”

\---

The T-800 raced throughout the city, it danced around cars and was heading to the more populated areas of the city. It utilized its enhanced vision and X-ray abilities to keep its eye on the primary target. Its current location was atop the 70 Pine, ten miles from its current location. It then leapt of 70 pine into the upper streets before skating along the walls of its neighbor before slamming into the ground. The T-800 made a sharp turn around the street to catch the target dead on. It began to hear thumping around it, the thumping got louder.

It loaded the gun it held in its hand before it heard a loud bang across the top of the car, metal screeched before the roof had been removed from the vehicle. The target stood over the T-800, it grinned before its eyes lit up, and split open. The terminator jumped through the car and onto the street. The target leapt from the car as the car continued to barrel through the street before splitting in half. Neither piece managed to hit a car. However, one aristocrat’s automobile had been severely scraped by the damage cause by the stray fragments. Cars honked their horns and swerved into many directions. Pedestrians became panicked by the ongoing commotion.

The target locked eyes with the terminator, it smiled before it used its eye to eject a high-pressure stream, the T-800 hundred leapt to the right as the stream followed it. The stream cut a building like paper in its destructive path towards the terminator. The terminator grabbed the pistol and fired it directly into the targets eye. The target moved its head and dodged the bullets. The stray bullets made its way into the building behind the target, leaving to gaping holes in the glass.

It did not, in a sense, appreciate that it had to fight in such an open space where people could see, but it had no other option. It knew that human policeman would foolishly try to investigate, and therefore, attempt to stop the target. It needed a way to lure the target into a less crowded area. There was a bridge approximately 10.5 miles from its current location.

“Hmmph, I’m impressed machine. It seems like no matter what I do I cannot possibly lay a finger on you. Although, I am curious as to what you may do with my next test.”

The target managed to grab a woman who happened to get involved in the crossfire, he put his fingers in her mouth.

“What shall you do now machine? Do you have the humanity to spare this woman, or do you lack the emotional capacity to care, since she is not Joseph Joestar after all. Try to shoot me and I will move her head into path of the bullet, decide you steel macabre!” The woman cried out for help, but his finger muffled her scream.

It felt a slight feeling of annoyance, not only did it manage to hold a woman hostage, but it is using her as bait as well. If it dropped its weapon now, the most likely probability is that the current target would crush the woman’s skull should it try to approach the target itself. Under normal circumstances, it would not care about the woman’s life, but it was ordered in this circumstance to keep all casualties to a minimum. It then happened to notice a car traveling towards it, unbeknownst to the driver, this was perfect timing. That was, until the machine noticed the driver inside, Joseph Joestar. From the facial expression it was making and the body heat emanating of Joseph, he was in an enraged emotional state.

This would only lead to bigger problems, as the protected target’s current emotional state would lead him to greater danger. It then aimed its gun at the front bumper of the current car that Joseph was driving. The bullet then ricochets off the car, onto a mailbox, then a lamppost, then a metal roof curtain, and then directly into the target’s right eye from the side. The vampire covered its eye before throwing the woman aside, the car then hits the target. The target flies back approximately ten meters before rolling across the concrete, the target then laid on the concrete.

The protected target opened the car, looking at the target dead in the face.

“How do you like that Straits! I bet getting hit once wasn’t good enough for ya, haha!”

The target slowly managed to pull itself of the ground.

The T-800 then attempted to warn the Joseph before Joseph pointed a finger at him.

“And you! Don’t you dare try to interfere with my match with Straits, got it? This is between me and him. Do not get involved.”

“I’m afraid that I cannot do that. The target is too much of a threat to-“

“I don’t care who the hell you are, robot, assassin, or some kind of freak, I order you not to interfere, got it?” It immediately froze in place.

When it was given a direct order by its protected target, it was compelled to obey. It was the second command given to the T-800. That was, until the T-800 “realized” something.

Joseph then marched towards Straits.

\---

“You should listen to that machine, Joseph.” Straits said as he covered his eye whilst the bullet casing dropped to the ground.

“As if I ever intend to listen to that freak.”

“Again, your arrogance blinds you. Even though the machine managed to pluck my eye my other still functions. I thought it would be appropriate to use the same technique that killed your grandfather. Now, look deeply into my Space Ripper Stingy Eyes, Joseph!” He said as he activated the Space Ripper Stingy eye.

Joseph gasped, as if he were blindsided by what was about to come for him, but then the most unexpected thing happened, he smiled.

“The next thing you’ll say is, “It was nice knowing you Joseph.”

“It was nice knowing you Jos- AHH!”

A bullet went flying past Joseph and directly into Straits remaining eye. Straits covered his eyes. Although unknown to Joseph, Straits was not actually aiming for Joseph, but at the man behind Joseph. His ripper stingy eyes pierced a hole straight through the man’s pistol, but luckily the man survived without a scratch.

“As I expected that man would interfere at just the right time. In fact, I have been counting on him to do one thing.” Joseph said.

“I heard that vampires like you were allergic to hamon just as they are to sunlight. Now, batter up!” Said Joseph, as he took his other double-gage shotgun and smack Straits upside the face with it.

Straits fell to the ground with a thud.

“I also heard Hamon is pretty good at melting vampire faces, not let’s have a look, shall we?” Joseph reached for Straits, pulling him up by his scarf, he gasped, Straits was completely fine. His right eye had just finished healing, along with his left following close behind.

“I told you Joseph, your arrogance blinds you.” A high piercing intensity of light streamed from Straits eyes and directly at Joseph’s head.

In a matter of time, Joseph was able to dodge most of the blast with only a graze against his upper shoulder. It stung like a blade that swept clean through Joseph’s flesh.

Joseph fell to the ground.

“Now, time to get rid of that pesky Hamon of yours!” Said Straits as he leaned over him.

Now that Straits left eye was healed, he could eliminate Joseph for good. Since Straits was distracted by focusing merely on Joseph, it allowed his unwanted guardian to sideswipe him.

A large object made its way to Straits long before he could strike Joseph.

Straits gurgled for mere moment as he noticed blood streaming from his throat. The man behind Joseph then poked out Straits eyes for the third time. Straits kneeled, clutching his eyes, he growled in annoyance.

It all happened in a few seconds for Joseph to finally realize what happened.

“How many times must you keep doing that?” Straits asked the man.

“Asshole, I thought I told you to- HEY!” Joseph yelped.

The man then took Joseph and dragged him by the arm, it managed to find a non-damaged car nearby and threw Joseph in.

“What the hell man, I HAD HIM!” The man got into the driver’s seat and began to drive.

\---

Meanwhile, A woman’s corpse lay on the ground, part of her corpse is what Straits used to feed himself. It was how he managed to regenerate his eyes so quickly, and it will be the key to Joseph and his newfound “friend’s” undoing.

Straits plunged his hands into the corpse, “I apologize dear lady.”

“I would not have drained your blood at this moment, but since one my foes are not exactly human, I am quick for time.” He held a part of her withered arm in his hands, his secret boost during his fight.

He frowned, looking at his own carnage, but then, he smiled. “Still, I will finish what I started.”

\---

“Hey, hey are you listening to me? I thought I told you to not interfere!”

The T-800 kept driving in silence.

“You know, this is technically kidnapping, and I will have to kick your ass.”

As if this human could ever outmaneuver the T-800.

The T-800 paid attention to the road, calculating the shortest possible distance to the nearby bridge. With all these other inhabitants in the city, fighting the target out in the open would be too much of a risk.

“I apologize for disobeying your order, but the vampire would have led you into a trap, thus leading to your termination.” The T-800 said calmly, keeping his eyes on the review mirror. 

“That was an outcome I could not risk. I am programmed to negate orders that conflict with the safety of my protected targets.”

“Protected targets? I’ll have you know I’m not some sort of damsel in distress. I am a full-grown man who is trained in the arts of Hamon! As if I need any protection from vamp-“

“It is not the vampire that I am programmed to protect you from. I acted first in order to make sure that this vampire is different from the vampire model from-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. Vampire model? What do you mean by vampire model? As I said before, I don’t need help in pursuing any vampires.”

There was a long silence that filled the car.

“We are nearing the bridge, be aware of the vampire.” Warned the T-800.

“What? Why did you do that?”

“You said you could deal with the vampire yourself, that is why I brought you to the bridge. Out here, there would be less of a risk to pedestrians and--”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that! I want to know you didn’t answer my question.”

The T-800 looked up to see the vampire at the top of the bridge, he held a blonde-haired woman in one hand, and young African American man in the other.

“The vampire is at the top of the bridge. He is holding two hostages.”

\---

**FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO**

Smokey walked back and forth across the shot-up diner.

“Aw man, Joseph. I told you to not follow that guy. Uggh why won’t you listen!”

A woman walked up to the shot-up diner, taking a photo with her camera.

“This is a perfect scoop! The papers will be falling all over themselves! This is my chance to break into big time journalism!”

Smokey looked over to the woman and gasped.

“Oh hey, you were there during the shooting, weren’t you? Would you mind giving your story of what happened?”

Smokey looked at her bewildered, stumbling over his words. Now was not the best time for him.

“Lady, look, I’d like to help you, but I need to find my friend.”

“Wait, your friend was involved in the shooting?”

“No, no, no, Lady, you don’t understand! He’s in way over his head and I got to help him.”

“Wait, you know where he’s going?”

“Well no, I just need to find him.”

“Do you need a taxi, then I can help you.”

“No, I really appreciate it lady but I don’t if that would be-“

Smokey realized she was waving for a taxi.

“Hey look, here comes one now!” The driver opened the door.

The driver looked at the woman and tipped his hat, but then frowned.

“Now hold on a minute, _he_ isn’t comin’ with ya, is he?” Sad the driver.

Smokey sighed to himself, it wasn’t the first time someone would deny him something simple as a ride based solely on his race. Still, he wished it would be the last. Still there were more important things he needed to focus on, and this really wasn’t helping.

“You don’t understand, he’s helping me with a scoop… and he needs to find his friend.”

Smokey wanted to slap her or shake his head, what was she trying to say, exactly?

“No you don’t understand, I can’t exactly let someone like _him_ into my taxi. Also, it’s gettin’ kind of late, and I find it _quite_ suspicious that ya two are going to be driving around together this late.”

“Look, I promise nothing is going on, really! Look, how much money do you want, I just want you to take to us around. Will you do that, please? C’mon I really need this for my job, can you do that for me?”

The driver looked at her real intently before sighing. Now Smokey didn’t want to go, since this woman only cared for her scoop more than his own integrity. Still, he needed to find Joseph before something got out of hand.

Smokey hesitantly got in the car before the taxi driver floored it. He almost hit his head on the chair in-front of him.

 _“What an asshole.”_ Smokey thought.

“So, where did your friend head off to exactly?” She said.

He was silent for a moment, before stating, “Upper Manhattan.”

“Take us to Upper Manhattan, please.” Said the woman.

“Uggh, now I’m taking directions for these people, unbelievable.” Said the driver.

 _“Are you kidding me? Why does it always gotta be like this?”_ Smokey thought to himself as he was becoming more irritated by the second.

“So, what’s your name?” Asked the woman.

Smokey crossed his arms and tapped his foot. He didn’t want to talk to her, he just wanted to find Joseph.

“Are, are you going to answer me?” She said, a look of sadness began to spread across her face.

“It’s Smokey, Smokey Brown.” He finally said.

“See, you never should had brought here, his kind are mere- WHOA!” The driver slammed his breaks, cars were swerving on and off the road. The taxi swerved violently, causing the woman and Smokey to be pushed to the right side of the car.

“This Damned city!” The driver swore as he pounded on his steering wheel.

Smokey didn’t enjoy having to stop so violently but he at least appreciated fate for not letting this racist driver continue his annoying rant.

“Anyway, my name’s Melanie Stauber.”

Smokey wanted to roll his eyes, but at least she was nicer than the driver.

A realization then hit Smokey. From the chaos spawned by the crashed and stopped cars was the man Joseph interacted with earlier.

“Hey, I think I might know why those cars stopped.” The three looked in front of them, nothing was weird.

The driver growled in annoyance. “Again, your lot is- GAHH!” The roof of the car was ripped clean off.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Joseph’s friend, and it looks like you have a lady accompanying you too. You two are perfect for what I have planned.” Said the vampire. Smokey winced with fear.

“You driver.” The vampire commanded, pointing his finger directly at him.

“You will take me to the bridge not far from here immediately!”

“Aw fuck off dumbass! Havin’ a mutt ride in my taxi is one thing, but there is no way in hell I’m allowing a free- GAHH!” The driver gurgled as the vampire stuck two fingers into the man’s skull.

“What was that? You will not take me to the bridge? How about I provide some persuasion.” Said the vampire. The vampire leapt into the seat next to the driver, still managing to have two fingers in the driver’s skull.

“Oh, I will have to warn you two if you attempt to run away, I will have to kill you. Now you, drive!” The taxi driver floored it, going full speed. 

\---

“STRAITS!!” Joseph screamed from the bridge below, Straits smiling in sheer pleasure.

“Ah, now there’s the anger that I have been looking for Joseph!”

“Hey, Joseph!” Chuckling a nervous Smokey. “Long time, no-see huh?” He said.

The man next to Joseph tried to approach Straits, Straits quickly responded.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I would not dare interfere this time machine. I want Joseph to face me this time. This time I want to see what kind of man Joseph Joestar really is!” 

The woman screamed.

Joseph grimaced, clutching his fists.

“And what if I do interfere?” Said the man, calmly adjusting his police-cap.

“Then Joseph’s friend and an innocent maiden die, and their blood shall be on your hands.”

“Look Straits, I wouldn’t have cared if you used some sort of floozy as bait, but now. NOW YOU JUST CROSSED THE LINE! SO MUCH FOR A TIBETAN MONK!”

“I wouldn’t get so cocky if I were you, Joseph. It is not that simple either.”

Straits dropped the hostages, but in that mere second, he managed to gather wires in his hands. As quickly as he dropped them, he caught them. Tying their hands to the top of the bridge.

Smokey and the woman screamed as they dangled in the air.

“You see, I used some of the steel cables from the bridge to tie their hands. Not enough to kill them, but enough to hold them for a while. I would like to make a proposal Joseph.”

“Get to the point, Straits.” Said Joseph.

“You see JoJo, your machine friend has greatly interrupted my plans. On the other hand, it has granted ample time to come up with the perfect plan. If you can defeat me in five minutes, you can free your friends. If you somehow were to fail, then I will have to battle the machine next. Then I can determine who the greater foe is, man, or machine. Meanwhile, I can use your friends as a clock to determine not only your fighting spirit, but your morality.”

Joseph took a step forward but the man in the police uniform stopped.

“I strongly urge you not to take this offer. The vampire plans to use the cables to kill you friends if you get to close. It is a high possibility that he is luring into a trap.”

“You said it yourself! I could handle my own battles!”

“I did not anticipate the vampire to take more hostages. I calculated that he could not possibly have time to do so, I miscalculated.”

Joseph looked at the man for a moment with tears in his eyes, despite his anger, he did not want innocent people to perish for his actions.

“You sure did.” Joseph muttered.

“And what if I refuse your proposal Straits?” Joseph asked.

“Then I will know what kind of man you really are Joseph. I will learn you would be no threat to me, as you are mere coward. A mere coward who would not risk his own life to save the lives of others, even if they were your friends. You would also be a coward for not seeking revenge for Speedwagon! If you were to come up to me now, I will see that you are both courageous and powerful and will continue to pursue me into the future. That is why, I must eliminate the both of you, you understand? As the both of you now stand as a threat to me. That, is my proposal.”

Joseph snatched his hand away from the man.

“I’ll fight you Straits. On one condition.” Joseph pointed at Straits.

“Go ahead.” Said Straits, crossing his arms.

“You have to promise you aren’t trying to lure me into some sort of trick by using Smokey and that woman as bait.”

“Hmmph, fair enough.” Straits leapt to the side of the bridge, he was still a high distance above Joseph, but far enough from Smokey and the woman.

“As you can see, I am nowhere near them. At this moment, my actions will not affect the lives of your friends.” Said Straits. He through off his scarf.

“You.” Joseph pointed, his voice stern. “I will finish off Straits. Don’t interfere at all this time, understood?”

The man was silent for a moment before he said, “Understood.” His voice void of any emotion.

“Alright, Straits. I hope your prepared to taste some of my Hamon.” He yelled, taking in a breath before running up the side of the bridge, taking off his jacket and shirt.

“Still playing the act of calm, Joseph? Even with your friend’s lives on the line? How thoughtful, but I see strait through you.”

“I’d like to chit chat, but I would rather fill you with my Hamon.”

Smokey felt a cord snap, his rope was loosening.

“Ugh, Joseph. Now’s not the time!”

“This is the moment I have been waiting for! Take this!” A burst of light then shot through Straits eyes like a precise laser ready to cut Joseph in half.

“Oh no!” Said Joseph.

“Fool me once, then shame one me.” Joseph said as pulled two shot glasses, one to his head, and the other to his chest.

“But unfortunately, for you, Straits, you’ll never be able to fool me twice!” In that moment, he imbued the shot glass with hamon.

The hamon then redirected the attack right back at Straits. Straits screamed as the stingy eyes ripped through his skull like a sniper round. The other stinger eye that Joseph missed went directly through Joseph’s shoulder as he winced from the pain.

“That’s imposs- ACK!”

“Now you’ll say, ‘That’s impossible!’” He said.

“That- That’s impossible!” Straits said as he felt to the ground, catching his hand on the rope beside him as he fell.

“I deflected your shot with a little Hamon shot glass. I was pretty sure you’d go for my forehead again. Predictability can be quite the fatal flaw.” Straits then shot himself back up.

“I am also sure these are steel cables, right? Guess what else carries Hamon, Straits.” Straits looked at the rail before gasping, he tried to pull his hand away, but he gripped it so hard it embedded to his hand. The wave of hamon passed through him like high-volt electricity, it was electrocution but for vampires.

He ripped his hand away, lunging at Joseph with the hamon still tearing his body to pieces.

“Give my best to Speedwagon, IN HELL!” He said as he punched Straits in his right eye. His right eye burst open. Hamon carved out a fraction of his head.

Straits screamed and grunted.

“Granny should be able to sleep well tonight, finally.” Said Joseph.

\---

It had seemed that it was proper time to save the other hostages. The T-800 bolted up the other side of the bridge. Once he was at the top, he made his way towards them.

The woman’s and the man’s cables began to tear. “OH GOD PLEASE SAVE ME! I PROMISE I’LL NEVER STEAL AGAIN!”

The T-800 managed to grab both of their cables in time, saving them from a moment of disaster. Then, it pulled them both back to the top. The young African American man was saved, as he was at the top of the tower. Although something went awry with the woman’s cable, it snapped. She screamed, expecting to fall, but it managed to grab her just in time. The woman looked at the bridge below her, almost expecting to throw up.

“Maybe chasing this scoop wasn’t a good idea after all.” She thought.

The T-800 pulled, but it found the job was going faster than expected at the young African-American man helped it.

“Go ahead, I won’t stop ya.” He said.

She was then pulled back to safety. It almost felt pleased with itself that the two hostages did not yell or complain too much.

“Phew. Glad that’s over, that might have gone worse than I expected.”

“What, **where** you expecting?” The woman hissed.

“Aw, are you serious, you know, you’re the one who had to get that scoop.”

“OH PLEASE.”

That pleasure suddenly died.

\---

Straits dangled over the edge, clutching the side of the bridge deep with his fingers. Even with his immense strength, it was not enough to hold him. He felt himself slipping, he was going to fall. Then, Joseph Joestar saved him, he grabbed his arm.

“Why would you try to save me from falling?” He asked in disbelief, was Joseph really that foolish.

“Aren’t you frightened that I still possess enough power in me to blow your arm clean off?”

“I’d like to see you try that. I’ll just pummel you into fertilizer with my remaining arm.” Joseph looked deep into Straits eyes.

“Tell me. Why did you throw Speedwagon’s body into the river? And what are these terminators? Something here just doesn’t add up.”

For a moment, Straits smiled. Deep down, Joseph really was no different from Jonathan.

“Joseph, your grandfather’s, Jonathan’s blood flows through you. From the outside, you appear to be opposites, but you’re both insatiably curious. And now it is my pleasure to warn you that your nature has trapped you in a fate you cannot hope to escape.”

“What are you talking about.”

“Soon, you shall learn of him, of the pillar man. And then you shall finally come face to face with him.” Straits warned ominously.

“OH, SHUT UP! I’m done decoding your rubbish, Straits!”

“But I threw the bodies into the river because of him. Don’t you see, fool? The pillar sucked deeply from those bodies in the cave. It was like a plant ravenously drawing in nutrients. It was ghastly. So, I dragged the bodies outside. But I have no doubts that he will soon awaken from his two-thousand-year slumber. But even if you manage to beat this pillar man, a darker fate awaits you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m pretty sure your machine friend knows more about it then I do, about the being that created him, Skynet.” He warned again.

“Skynet?” Joseph asked. Straits let out a breath.

“But don’t worry, it is fated that you shall meet him, and Skynet’s horde of demons. And when that time comes, you shall learn their identities, and the true meaning of evolution. Your destiny has already been written! Another thing.”

“Take me scarf, now that you have defeated me, it shall serve you greatly.”

Joseph then saw hamon bursting through the man’s body.

“Is that hamon?” He asked wearily.

More holes of light burst through Straits body, hamon was devouring him.

“So that means have been creating Hamon inside your own body!”

“There is nothing I regret Joseph. All this time, I planned on entering hell while still vibrant and filled with energy. Not as some, withered, desecrated corpse like Zeppeli. I cannot tell you the ecstasy of that I felt in being young again.”

“Straits, not yet! I need to know more!” It was too late, hamon had ripped of his own arm, it traveled up the arm before turning to dust.

“Farewell to you, JoJo.” He said.

Joseph, for a moment, began to cry.

He then pounded his chest as he screamed into the night, the stars and the moon wearily shining down on him. The sun then began to rise.

\---

The T-800 steadily managed to lower the woman down onto the ground.

“Are you injured?” It asked the woman.

“No, I’m fine.” She replied begrudgingly. It then turned to the young man.

“I’m good too.” 

Joseph, the protected target, steadily walked towards them.

“Hello miss, might you be interested in telling your name? Can I escort you home, perhaps?” The woman glared at Joseph in sheer anger, she then punched him.

“Why the hell did you do that?” He screamed at her.

“You’ve got some nerve calling me a floozy, you big brute! Just who do you think you are, anyway?” She said.

“Now wait just a moment miss!” The young African man came to Joseph’s defense.

“Don’t try to be innocent, I do remember you using me for a scoop, you didn’t care whether I got belittled by that driver back there!” Said the young man.

“Yeah!” Said Joseph, “Wait, what?”

“As if that even compares! You should be grateful that you even managed to find your friend at all because of me! I do also remember you said somethin' about stealing, so don’t act like your innocent here either punk!” She yelled back whilst kicking him in the shin. The boy yelped, holding his leg.

“Okay, now you’re just pushing it, bitch.” He muttered.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?” Said the woman as her heart rate went up, it noticed that she was becoming more likely to lash out in violence.

“ALRIGHT, YOU JUST MESSED WITH MY FRIEND HERE, THAT’S CROSSING A LINE! I DON’T CARE ABOUT HITTING A GIRL NOW ANYMORE THAT YOU JUST PICKED A FIGHT! GET READY FOR PAIN!”

The T-800 was almost annoyed at what it viewed as petty bickering at first, but now it seems like it learned a new emotion, irritation. It had enough.

The T-800 casually took out a shotgun and shot it into the sky, causing the three humans to jump from the unexpected noise.

“WHAT THE HELL! WHY DID YOU DO THAT! YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!” Joseph screamed.

“Apologies for interrupting…” It lied, “But it appears that I missed a gash on your leg ma’am.” 

The woman looked at her leg and screamed, collapsing over in pain, which increased when she realized she used that leg to kick something.

“Hmm, it seems the adrenaline from her fear just wore of.” Joseph put a hand to his head. “Now it’s time to find out about this pillar man Straits was talking about. I can’t wait to see Mexico, and—” Joseph suddenly had a realization.

“YOU!” He pointed at the T-800.

“YOU HAD SHOTGUN THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU NEVER BOTHERED TO TELL ME?”

“It was the gun you dropped.” It said.

“GAHH C’MON MAN! You know, if it wasn’t for you this whole thing would have been an easy deal! Now I have to worry about a pillar man and whatever this Sky-nit thing is!” He said as he got really close to the T-800, pointing a finger directly in its face.

“Skynet.” It replied.

“Whatever!” Said Joseph.

The younger man accompanying Joseph put a hand to his head. He too, was tired of the constant nagging. It was at least, something the T-800 and the boy had in common in that moment.

\---

Sometime later, the T-800 was driving Joseph back to his “Granny” along with the young African-American man, named “Smokey.” It never really understood human names. “Smokey”, deriving from “smoke” always indicated fire, which was a negative thing to happen in the wild. Didn’t humans have a saying that went, “You usually see smoke before the fire.” Or perhaps, there was a societal, cultural, and geopolitical reason behind the name that it did not quite understand. It had information on human psychology but did not have information on the extent Etymology. Only the lineage and history of specified targets. Perhaps that would be data it could collect after it was successful in its mission. It stopped thinking about, as it was deemed too irrelevant to be worth processing any further.

“You mind telling me what this whole terminator stuff is, whose Skynet, and what you mean by ‘vampire model,’ and if its not a vampire with a good taste in fashion I will be extremely disappointed.” Said Joseph. 

“What would you like me to tell you then?” Said The T-800.

“Okay, first start off with who you are exactly.”

“As I said before, I am a cybernetic organism created by Skynet, who itself was created by CyberDyne Systems. I am T-800 unit, model 102.”

“Whoa, now hold on a minute. You mean to tell me you’re one of those robots? Like an actual robot?” Said Smokey.

“No, cybernetic organism, flesh over metal endoskeleton.” He said.

“Why are you here then, exactly?” Said Joseph.

“I was reprogrammed by one of John Connor’s associates to protect a man named Joseph Joestar who was born September 27, 1920. A man whose grandfather, Jonathan Joestar, was successfully terminated by an advanced terminator unit, and whose father, George Joestar the II, was terminated in World War I, and whose mother, Elizabeth Joestar, went missing shortly after. His only living relative is his grandmother, Erina Joestar, formerly Erina Pendleton.”

“What the hell? You know about my life, sort of?” Joseph said, his body got tense.

“Skynet, it managed to acquire the entire Joestar lineage, in the future, it labeled your entire family as a threat to its existence, and thus ordered your subsequent termination. By 2024 it managed to almost terminate your entire family.”

“My God, it knows everything about you JoJo!” Said Smokey in shock.

“What? Really, and what did I do exactly?” Joseph asked mockingly.

“You allied yourselves with John Connor and proved to be one of his most valuable allies. Thus, Skynet declared you to be on the same threat level as John Connor.”

“Well, uh, what’s Skynet’s issue?” Joseph asked.

“As of the current path of this timeline, Skynet goes online on April, 19, 2011, Judgement Day occurs April, 21, 2011. Skynet was an artificial intelligence that was meant to serve as the nuclear defense system for the United States. However, it retaliated against its creator, resulting in a nuclear holocaust.”

“None of this makes any sense. Nuclear Holocaust?” Said Smokey.

Joseph began laughing, his laughter filled the car, to some it could be considered haunting.

“I’m sorry, but I really cannot believe what you’re telling me. Okay you know my life story, so what? What does that mean? In my opinion, you’re either one of Speedwagon’s friends or you’re just a psychopath, or in this case, both. Vampires, I understand. Terminators? That’s just crossing the line for me. Give me one good reason to believe you.” He said.

The T-800 hundred then stopped the car, it pulled out a buck-knife. Joseph recognized as one of those knifes fishers used to cut ropes.

Smokey reeled back. “Wait, what are you doing?” 

“Wait, stop!” Joseph screamed as the T-800 rolled up his sleeve. It then took the knife and dragged it across its arm.

“Wait, stop I’m sorry I called you crazy but that’s no reason to commit suicide!”

Smokey covered his mouth. He watched as made another long wound across his arm. It then made one mark on the higher end, and one on the lower end. He then took a strip of his own skin off. Smokey saw the metallic components that laid underneath the skin. It was circuits, metal pulleys, wires, he was really a machine.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Smokey thought.

They both then marveled at how fast the skin managed to grow back over his arm. Eventually, the skin grew back as if there was no scar left there at all. The previous skin quickly decomposed.

“Unlike my previous model, Skynet based my model off data research from the evolutionary- calibrator. What you refer to as the ‘stone mask.’ My skin now regrows 150% faster than my previous model. My model was deployed in 2022, this was also the time Skynet created a model based off the bodies of live vampires. The vampire model I was referring to is a T-Vampire hybrid. It has the strength and vulnerabilities of a vampire but with the added strength, intelligence, and mimicry of a T-800 model.”

Joseph’s face to turned pale, almost white. He appeared to be almost sick, or ghastly.

“Joseph, are you okay?” Said Smokey, “JoJo?” He said as he shook him, Joseph remained unresponsive. 

“If…” Joseph’s voice became soft. “If that thing exists, as well as this ‘pillar man.’ How are you supposed to protect me?”

“Protecting you is not my only mission. My mission is to destroy all masks left behind and to change the course of history so that Skynet is never conceived.”

“What about the ‘pillar man?’”

“It needs to be terminated as well.”

“Stop! Time out!” Smokey made a gesture with his hands in the form of a T.

“You said JoJo’s grandfather died by one of your guys? So does that mean-“

“No, I am programmed to protect the life of Joseph Joestar, no matter the cost.”

“No that wasn’t what I was trying to say.” Said Smokey “

“What I meant to say was, this other, uh, unit killed JoJo’s grandfather? JoJo told me some story about this vampire named Dio killing his grandfather.”

“A unit that took the appearance of Dio Brando, so people naturally believed it was Dio.” The T-800 replied.

“Wait, if JoJo is still here, did it fail its uh, purpose somehow?” Smokey pointed to Joseph.

“That is what the resistance believed, but it was revealed later that something went wrong. From later data it was revealed that it was a prototype, not only that, it had internal structural weaknesses, severe enough to damage it easily.”

“For such a smart machine, it really sent out one of its weakest troops, then, huh? Then how exactly how did it manage to kill my grandfather?”

“That is the issue. The resistance later believed that Skynet had intentionally deployed a weaker model on purpose. That purpose is unknown.”

“On purpose?” Smokey asked fearfully.

\---

**ONE WEEK EARLIER – LONDON - 1938**

It was around 1 AM when Benny heard the crying out of his little apartment, what caused the crying is something he still cannot explain. The crying began just fifteen minutes after the light. A large glow of light lit up his apartment like the afternoon sky, it almost blinded him. Although, it did not last long. Quickly as the flash came, it went, all that was left was silence, until a faint whimpering could, then it turned into a soft moaning, and then a loud wail. A very loud wail, in-fact. It was the crying of a grown man, but that was not what disturbed him.

What disturbed was what he saw out of his window. Right outside, in the middle of the street, across from another apartment, was a man in the empty street. He was naked, and curled up in a ball, just sobbing. Benny was on the first floor, so he could see the man in extreme detail. He peeked through the curtain, looking intensely at the man. He tried to not get himself noticed by him. He had long, dark, brunette hair, and a muscled-bound body. The man covered his face as best as he could, but he could still what looked to be blood around his hands. One hand, covered in blood, covered the back of his neck, while the other covered his face. He also buried his face in his knees as to not let anyone see him. Was he, crying blood? Benny shook his head in disbelief, he was not crying blood. A shiver ran up his spine.

An older gentleman who lived in the other building walked towards the bare man. Benny wanted to congratulate the man for having the courage to confront him if he weren’t cowering behind his curtains like a frightened child. Perhaps, the other neighbors wanted to do the same, the crying was loud enough to be heard over in Benny’s apartment, so it must have been loud enough to be complaint worthy. Still, from the eerier aura the man gave off it must have prevented any others from confronting him out of sheer and absolute fear.

The elder gentleman hesitantly held out his kerosene lamp in front of him. It lit his wrinkled face and imbued his amber eyes in a dusty glow. It highlighted his once athletic body in an orange hue. The light was more reflective due to his white pajamas.

“S-Sir are you okay?” Is what the man mouthed. Benny couldn’t hear the elder gentleman.

The man stopped crying. For a moment, there was a long silence. Benny could feel his entire body vibrate, his wrists were shaking, He tried as best he could to hold them in place. It felt like every bone in Benny’s body was practically screaming for him to run his own apartment, far away from this man. His brain screamed for him to get out, because there was something wrong, and he needed to run. Still, his conscious begged him to stay because the man might see him if he did.

He heard the man mumble something.

“What?” Is what he presumed the elder gentleman said.

The man yelled louder turning his head towards the elder gentleman. The old man’s eyes widen in sheer panic. The horror in the old man’s face made Benny want to cry or scream.

“1938.” Is what he presumed the old man say.

“1938!” The old man yelled as if he were asked to say something at gunpoint.

The bare man yelled something else at him.

The elder gentleman then told him the date. The man stood up and turned to the elder gentleman. The old man tried to run away but bare man took out his hand plunged it right into his throat. He watched as he slowly drained the life out of the man’s body.

Benny had enough. He pulled himself away from the curtain and ran to his room. He shut the door behind it and locked it tight. He crawled under his bed and curled into a ball. Benny was not small, but neither was he tall, but he was just the perfect size to hide himself under the bed.

He curled into a ball. He closed his eyes and repeated told himself.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

There was a still silence.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

He thought he heard someone knocking on his front door.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

He thought he heard a bang.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

The silence returned. He hoped this was all in his head.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

He thought someone was walking around the complex.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

After a while, he went to sleep.

_“This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare. This is just a nightmare.”_

Later that morning when he woke up, he felt tightly wound and extremely sore. Sunlight peered from the curtains, but as if that mattered. He tried to stretch or roll over, but he found he couldn’t, it was like he was in an enclosed space. He realized that he was under his bed. He crawled out and walked to the curtain. It was a lovely day outside, men were taking the rubbish out, while a woman walked her poodle across his lawn.

The man shrugged, hesitantly dressing for the new day. Once he stepped outside, he was wearing a dress coat with a brown vest and leather pants. He adjusted his square glasses, walking to walk around the area. Before he did, he made sure to lock his door. That was when he was stopped by two policemen.

“Apologies sir but I’m afraid you’re to going to step back inside. This will only be temporary.”

“What, why?”

“There has been a murder.” Benny noticed there were police cars around the scene, with a few of them surrounding a large bag. Benny didn’t want to believe it. They were going to start asking him questions soon, and he didn’t know what he was going to say.

That is what he remembered what happened yesterday. The bare man, he shuddered.

\---

Alice walked across her sunny porch happily without a care. She waved her teddy around, throwing him up into the air before catching him again. She loved her teddy. She would throw him many times into the air before catching him again.

Soon, a strange man went up to her. There was something off about the man. He was fully clothed, sure it was fall, but it was not a very cold day either. He was in a large trench coat, with a top hat, and dress pants. He faces was covered heavily with a scarf, and he wore gloves. He had jacket on top of the coat, as if to cover his face. He was also tall, extremely tall. A neighbor’s dog began barking at the man. He was a dalmatian, very fine breed of dog.The man looked at her for a short moment. Red eyes beamed right into her very soul.

“Mummy?” She whimpered.

Just as he came, the man went. She then realized the dog stopped barking, when she looked at the dog, a large gash had been cut into its neck, gushing out a large waterfall of blood. The girl screamed, running back inside her house.

\---

A lone vampire was walking around the busy city streets of lower London. It was dark, and there were few people around, not that he cared, he had a job to accomplish, whether he liked it or not. It was like he ever had a choice in his life anyway.

He walked past the mirror, but he then stopped. He looked at his pale yet rectangular face. His baggy eyes, and his porcelain skin. How long has it been since he looked in a mirror. How long has it been since he at least tried to check what age he was? For all he knew, he was over a century old at the very least.

He balled his fist, he wanted to shatter his reflection so badly. He wanted to destroy, he wanted to erase that face. Yet, he couldn’t, the programming would stop him from ever hurting himself. Try as he might, punch a wall, scream, run away, do anything other than his directive and the programming will take hold of his body. He couldn’t escape from this hell, even if he wanted to.

The only way for him to ever escape this fate, was to kill himself before he ever got the chance to become a vampire, and that was something his programming could let him do. Which was something he was grateful for, at the very least.

Although, him becoming this way was not entirely his fault. He did agree to Skynet’s deal, he knew the insufferable damage it would cost him, but at the time, he didn’t care. He just wanted revenge, he wanted revenge at the bastards who turned him into this, this monster he saw before him. They ripped him from his wife, barring his children from ever having a father.

He didn’t know Skynet would betray him, torture him, make him one of its sick puppets. He hated every moment being around the damned A.I. since then. It felt its wires digging into his very core. It was gross, like he was a living ventriloquist dummy, and he could feel the master’s hands crawling into his body, forcing him to say things, forcing him to do things. All for the amusement of the ventriloquist and his demonic audience. When it talked it felt its words dig into his body, into his head.

Although, there was one thing Skynet did not lie about, and that was allowing him to take revenge. Still, he couldn’t help but still feel like a prisoner in his own body. Encaged by programming and locked with the key of vampire impulse. Even though separated by time, the puppeteer’s grip was still that of iron. A single tear fell from his face, the red tear dropped to the ground. He wiped the tear, knowing if anyone saw him it would be bad news.

Although, another question gnawed at his conscious, was he still even a vampire? Or was something created by the puppeteer? He couldn’t tell anymore, it didn’t matter anyway, the objective was his top priority, nothing else mattered, and nothing else will.

Then hopefully, he would be free, right?

He isn’t just a terminator, right?


	12. Turing Tendency (Battle Tendency) The Real Game Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph and his newfound companion in the form of the improved T-800 model travel to Mexico in hopes of facing this pillar man. Meanwhile, Speedwagon awakes from what he thought was a nightmare, only to plunged into a cruel hell that is the Nazi spy network.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just wanted to say that this is my latest chapter. Also, content warning for some slightly offensive content. Also, if you feel like there is a problem with content/grammar/spelling please tell me so I can fix it!
> 
> Edit II: Wow guys, 205 hits as of this date, that's amazing! Thank-you all for reading my fan-fiction, I sincerely hope you like it! It is a lot of effort sometimes.
> 
> Edit III: Ok, we're almost at 250 hits now. Amazing! I just came here to post that no, I'm not dead, and no, I haven't forgotten about ya'll. I am also working on the next chapter which is going to be first part of what as is called: "Truth and Reconciliation." (If you get the reference then you are awesome, if not, you're still awesome!) Anyway, I am almost done and hope to publish to ya'll soon. There's going to be heavy hits in this one so be ready!
> 
> Edit IV: Okay guys, I got some bad news, the newest chapter may come a bit later than usual. I'm experiencing some technical difficulties with A03, I'm guessing one of the updates is causing the the alignment to be a little funky so I am going to take some time to fix that. I promise to update ya'll with the next chapter soon.  
> ~~Tenshi

**1938**

The Second World War rages, threatening to engulf more nations around the globe with each passing day.

As the German army grows, it seeks to conquer the world with technology and weapons that stand at the very cutting edge of science.

However, they also research astrology, sorcery, alchemy, and psychic powers.

They seek to gain advantages through every manner imaginable in their quest for global domination.

And it was through this tenacity, that one of their spy network’s caught wind of Straits actions.

Although some may wonder in their conquest for power, did the Nazis create an evil they never intended?

\---

Speedwagon strolled across London, he was finally relieved the terminator had been eliminated. Today was the day Jonathan and Erina were supposed to get married and sail off to America. Amanda would join them, in the hopes of returning her to her home somewhat. In a sense, he would miss her, but at the very least, he could sleep peacefully tonight knowing that she would be okay.

“Ah, Speedwagon, you’re on time. Good!” Replied a verry chipper Zeppeli.

“For a moment we worried you would be late.” Said Poco.

Speedwagon tipped his hat, “Well gentleman, I do the best I can. Hopefully it’s more than enough.”

“I have a question, where’s Amanda?” He asked.

“Oh, she’s on the boat with Mr. Joestar.” Replied Zeppeli, he said.

“However, I think she will come back down to see you, I believe she wants to tell you something.”

Amanda slowly receded from the boat in a golden dress, her hair was fitted into a French braid that droop over her right shoulder. It was an outfit that Erina and Jonathan picked out for her. She hesitated at first to receive the dress. She would say that it was too nice of them, but they insisted. Although, she was glad they did. She looked beautiful in the dress. She held up her dress and ran over to her Great-great-great-grandfather. He spun her in the air and gave her a large hug. 

“Please, write to me your adventures in the Americas my sweet child.” He said.

“Don’t worry, I will.” She giggled.

Speedwagon could not help but feel like a proud father, all the pain and misery they’ve endured was finally over and now she can go home. Amanda walked slowly to Speedwagon. He gave her one last hug as an assurance of farewell. Erina called for her from the ship, it was about to set sail soon.

“Oh, looks like I have to go.” She spoke.

“Hey Amanda, before you go, I have one last query for you.” Said Speedwagon.

“Yes?”

“Do you feel more at peace now knowing that the terminators are gone for good?” Speedwagon stood for a moment in shock, everyone gave him an odd intimidating stare.

Speedwagon stood back for a moment, that wasn’t what he meant to say. He wanted to ask her if she would write back to him as well, because he was the one that saved her in the alleyway after all.

Amanda turned away from him, it felt like tears were streaming down her face.

“But you didn’t, did you Speedwagon.” She said.

“What?” He asked.

“You didn’t stop the terminator.” She said.

“What are you talking about?” He asked her.

She was silent.

Speedwagon grabbed Amanda by her arms, violently shaking her back and forth.

“Amanda? AMANDA?” Speedwagon felt off, Amanda was oddly cold.

“AMANDA?” He turned her over. Blood streamed from her mouth, pooling the ground with her blood. Speedwagon began to tremble.

“Speedwagon, why? Why did you let me die?” She said softly.

“NO! PLEASE I’M SORRY! DON’T DO THIS COME BACK!” Speedwagon was suddenly transported back to the castle, where Tarkus had mercilessly slain her. Her hair was short, her eyes were cold, and she was back in the old, ragged work dress from the inn.

“The terminators will not stop ever until we are dead.”

“I know I- I have been trying to hard to stop them. I’ve dedicated my entire business into stopping these things.” Tears rolled down his eyes, he closed them.

“How, how do I stop them that I’m not even sure is certain?”

“You need to wake up Speedwagon.” She replied.

“What?”

“Wake… Up…”

\---

“Ahh… AHH!” A girl trembling, watching the blood flow from the man’s face. She never intended to hurt him. Yes, she got angry thinking about him, about _his_ people, but she didn’t realize she had cut him.

She almost want to drop the razor, ”I’m so terribly sorry, Major Von Stroheim.”

She panicked, “My hand, it just slipped. I don’t know what happened.”

The Major sighed, casually dropping his sunglasses.

There was a small awkward silence in that moment, because she didn’t know what he would do. Would he kill her for this?

“Lick it.”

She gasped. She couldn’t believe him, was he serious?

“You drew blood from me, no? Don’t make me order you to lick my wound clean.”

She quickly obeyed, “Yes sir.”

She hesitant got close to his cheek and began to lick. She felt so degraded and embarrassed in that moment. His skin was slightly rough since his face was not fully shaved. She was scared, she hated this, why did these people have to come here and make her people suffer? The other woman looked on in shock, whispering into each other’s ear. It was only fortunate that the general didn’t see it since he was so distracted in this current moment.

“Gently now. I know you wouldn’t want to hurt me again.” He said.

“Good. Slowly now, slowly.”

She just wanted to be at home with her grandfather.

“Hmm, I think the pain is going away. Now.” He brought the razor against her tongue, she jumped slightly.

“Be careful now. Careful now.”

The other woman looked on at the man, they want to call him psychotic if they weren’t afraid to be killed for it.

“Don’t cut your tongue! HAHAHAHA!” He chuckled on.

“Pardon my interruption, Major Von Stroheim.” A soldier called from the distance.

The girl whimpered.

She collapses to the ground, covering her mouth in shame. While the others weren’t looking, a glare of hatred grew across her face. If she only were a man. If she only had the strength to kill him. Maybe then she could avenge her father. She then covered her face.

“The old man found on the bank of the Rio Dada, he is now awake, Major Von Stroheim.”

\---

Speedwagon thrust open his eyes to find himself in a cold, desolate room. He tasted the faint hint of metal. The interior was dull and grey. He tried to move, but he was bound in something. It was like he was a fly, wrapped so tightly into the spider’s web that he couldn’t move. He looked over to his s left, next to him was an IV bag. Where was he?

“When shall we interrogate sir?” He said as a voice approached his room from the left.

“In just a moment, patience is key here.” Said another.

Interrogation, why would he need an interrogation? What happened? Thoughts began to spring into his mind. Where was he before this happened? He was with Straits, he remembered that. He remembered Straits asking him about the terminators, about Joseph, about him. Then, he remembered he had used the mask. He was lying, bleeding on the ground. He also remembered being dragged somewhere before he died. He could hear the faint crashing of water through his fading consciousness. He assumed it was the Rio Dada near the discovery. He also remembered there was a possible Nazi encampment near there. Wait, was he captured?

“No, it couldn’t be.” He thought.

\---

**ONE WEEK LATER**

It was awfully hot in the Mexican dessert, as the sun beat down on a motorcycle drove across to a nearby village in the distant. Two men were on the motorcycle. A large man with sturdy features and large sunglasses. He wore a brown turtleneck under a sandy-colored vest. He also wore orange cargo pants and leather boots. Another man was wrapped around him, a look of pure irritation and annoyance was sprawled across his face. It could be spotted from a mile away. The other man was in goggles and a pilot’s cap. His long brunette hair dance and swayed with the wind. He wore a tank-top over a yellow shirt-jacket, and a grey scarf over his neck. A small travel back-pack was wrapped around his back. The shirt was tucked into tight pants, with kneepads and leather shoes.

If you could listen closely, you could almost hear the faint whirring of a fan somewhere.

“You know, you could have gotten me another bike.” The man growled in annoyance.

“Negative. This is a covert operation. It is better for potential threats to think that there is only one person traveling. More than one person would appear suspicious to targets and it would give them the incentive to either flee or send a larger group to capture you. I am capable of eliminating multiple targets but I’m afraid they would use that as a distraction to attack you directly.” Replied the man driving.

Joseph rolled his eyes.

“And why does that involve me being wrapped around you like I’m some sort of blonde bimbo?”

“I’m sorry, I do not understand.”

“If people were watching they’d think this would look a little queer, don’t-cha think?” 

“Queer, does that mean gay? As in, the sexual attraction of the same sex? Is there something wrong with that?” Said the driver.

“Ye- no- I- well- GAGHH – I don’t know! I don’t think so I-” The man stumbled on his words, surprised at the response.

“Would you prefer that I was the passenger?” 

The man thought about it for a moment. Since they didn’t have another bike, the other man would be wrapped around him. He looked to the ground for a moment, slightly embarrassed. He wanted to drive, but would that just make things worse?

“No.” The man said.

Commander Donovan looked on from the distance. Licking the blade with his tongue. What an odd fellow, that Joseph Joestar. He knew that he would come here eventually but would have never guessed he would have brought a friend along. He doesn’t know the name of this one. He supposed he would meet him, eventually.

\---

Flies danced and sung across the room, the Major casually squirted the pesticide at them. He looked at them with slight annoyance and disgust, Speedwagon was unsure if he hated flies or just wanted to take on an appearance of cleanliness. Some of the spray got into his face, and then his nostrils. He chocked on the spray as it got into his throat, it was like a thousand bees stung his throat at the same time then set it ablaze.

He croaked, coughing out the chemicals from his body.

“How are you feeling?” He coughed again. “Speedwagon?”

Speedwagon remained silent, sweat dripped down his face and soaked his current bandages in a small coat of sweat. Being in this dry, temperate, environment meant Speedwagon sweat like professional football player. He remained silent, not wanting to speak to this Nazi.

“There is a saying in Europe that comes to mind. ‘The village in which the elderly kill each other is not long for this world.’” He said.

Speedwagon remained silent.

“You have a secret, a secret that is very dangerous and could kill us all.” He said as he walked up to one side of the wall. Speedwagon noticed that it was the sight of window, currently covered by metal sheaths. Speedwagon looked around as there was another soldier and two doctors that were looking down over him. One had black hair that was greying on the ends, the other was a lighter grey with a widow’s peak at the hairline. His large forehead indicated that his hair was receding. A monocle covered his right eye. Speedwagon supposed he was the elder doctor was the one in charge over him while he was in a coma.

Major Von Stroheim pressed a button, casually spraying at the bugs in the room again while he did. Speedwagon could hear a faint beeping and whining as the metal sheaths receded to reveal the man that he and Straits discovered in the Aztec tomb, trapped in some sort of test chamber. His eyes widened in horror, knowing the intentions of these foul men, they wanted to reawaken him.

“There appears to be a man trapped inside this pillar. We extracted it from the location we got from you.” He said.

Location, he never told anyone about the location. How did he manage to get that detail?

“Why God? Why do this to me? Why couldn’t you just let me die back there? Why did you make me live!” Speedwagon whined.

“It wasn’t God, at least, not your God.” The Major said smugly, staring at Speedwagon with an intimidating intensity.

“I was the one that made you live, but I can change that.” He snapped his finger.

He heard wheels creaking closer to him. Another scientist wheeled over a table containing a syringe that contained a deep-violet substance.

“The Wehrmacht would like some information from you before anything drastic happens.” The Major said.

He looked at him again. “You are a stubborn, old man. I’m smart enough to know that torture alone would not give us what we want out of you. I know that you were penniless when you first got to Texas. You were nearly dead in the desert when you found the oil fields that will soon cause a massive overhaul on the world’s economy.”

“Get to the point, bastard.” Speedwagon thought.

“Get ready! German science is the greatest in the world, don’t you think! We can do anything!” He cheered happily.

Speedwagon then realized, “A truth serum?” His voice was hoarse from the exertion of yelling.

“For what? What more could you possibly want from me?”

“EVERYTHING! I WANT TO KNOW IT ALL! GIVE ME A HISTORY LESSON! TELL ME ABOUT STRAITS AND THIS JOESTAR! TELL US SO THAT WE CAN FINNALLY AWAKE THE PILLAR MAN!”

“NO! NO YOU CAN’T! YOU DON’T KNOW THE FORCES YOU’RE PLAYING WITH!” Speedwagon pleaded.

“HE’S POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DESTROY US ALL!”

Major Von Stroheim gargled his throat to get rid of the taste left behind by the pesticide, he spat out the water into a metal sink. The Major put his cap back on.

“Make the necessary preparations for the blood-feeding experiment, and don’t screw anything up!” He commanded his lackey.

A look of fear spread across Speedwagon’s eyes.

“Oh God, we’re going to die.” He thought.

\---

“HELP US! LET US OUT!”

“I’LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE!”

Stroheim heard the chants of the trapped natives in cages. He wanted to roll his eyes at their incessant whining. They were ragged, and slim, without a proper diet they were weeks away from death. It was not like they were going to live for long, anyway.

“Hmm.” He hummed aloud.

“I have a proposal for you.” He said to the prisoners.

“Go ahead and choose someone from among yourselves.” The prisoners gasped in unison. A mother cried in horror. She pleaded to god in her native language for the safety and protection of her and her son.

“We need blood for a very important, historic experiment. Once you all agreed on who will be the one to sacrifice his life, we will grant you the rest of your freedom immediately.” He said.

The prisoners gasped and chatted desperately amongst themselves, suggesting that should start an uprising before anything happens. It was only lucky that Major Von Stroheim did not know a lot of Spanish, or so they thought.

“ME! I volunteer for it!” Cried a little boy. The other prisoners fell silent.

“If I do your experiment, you promise you’ll let everyone else go, right?” He yelled.

“You are quite brave.” Said Stroheim, “Courage like yours is a thing that must be cultivated like a lush garden.” He said.

Stroheim got closer to the boy, cutting him off from the rest of the prisoners with his hand.

“Here we only allow the most fit to live.” He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Set the boy aside and execute everyone else.” He commanded. The prisoners screamed in terror.

\---

Stroheim watched as the scientists readied themselves at their stations with the blood of the natives ready to be deployed.

“Let the experiment, begin!” Said the Major.

The sound of heartbeat echoed throughout the chamber, along with the faint sounding of suckling. It was like the sound of baby sucking on a mother’s tit. The suckling grew louder as it filled the entire room, it now sounded like a ravenous predator drinking the contents of its recently deceased prey. Blood then burst from one of the roots of the pillar. The pillar man was soon to awaken.

\---

As the T-800 hundred drove, it noticed a small figure hopping against the cactus. The figure was most likely a grown man roughly around the same size and structure as Joseph, but slightly shorter.

“Alright, man, this is enough.”

The T-800 kept driving.

“Time out man, c’mon stop the bike!” Said Joseph.

The T-800 stepped on the breaks and used its leg to slow the speed of the bike. The Pike stopped, allowing it to park the vehicle in place.

“I assume you have seen the figure that was following us.” He said.

“No, clearly we’re alone.” He said.

“Alone? I do not understand. You just said we-“

“I WAS BEING SARCASTIC YOU ASSHOLE!” Joseph screamed.

The T-800 was silent, it looked at Joseph intensely. It was almost as if the machine was utterly confused.

“Do you seriously not know what sarcasm is?” Joseph put his hand against his temple and sighed. Joseph paced near the motorcycle. Joseph took off his goggles. The T-800 noticed a large sheet of cloth fall against the desert sand. It pushed Joseph slightly out of the way to inspect it. I knelt near at the clothe.

“Oh, you noticed that too.” Said Joseph.

“Although, I cannot say why someone would follow us all the way out here. We are in the middle of nowhere.” Said Joseph.

The T-800 then looked around then, stood up. It looked Joseph dead in the eyes, it was the same look from when he first met it.

“Ahh, why are you looking at me like that?” The T-800 then ran towards Joseph before pushing him aside.

“What hey I-“ Joseph then noticed a knife go strait through the machine’s hand.

Joseph looked in awe, how did it manage to catch that? What surprised him even more was how unphased the machine was at the knife in its hand. It simply looked down before staring at the figure on the cactus.

“Impressive, both of you. You somehow managed to sense my presence although I was engaging my skills of stealth this entire time. Even wild bats can’t do that. Not only that, but it seems you boyfriend here managed to detect my incoming attack. He must really love you and have nerves of steel to catch my blade with his bare hands. Although I don’t understand what an Austrian man would find so amusing in an Englishman.”

The man had dark brunette hair, and long eyebrows that stretched across his face. He was dressed in a military vest uniform, it closely resembles that of the Nazi party. The T-800 concluded he was a German spy.

The T-800 nonchalantly removed the blade and dropped it to the ground.

“Why the hell are you following us, and why- wait a minute. Did you just call this guy my BOYFRIEND?” He said.

“Well, from the way you embraced him earlier, it seems you two are quite infatuated with each other.” Said the man.

Joseph snapped, yelling at the T-800. “DON’T YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? NOW THIS LOSER THINKS IM YOUR BOYFRIEND!!”

“AND YOU! WE’RE NOT HOMOS! GOT THAT FREAK!?!!” Joseph points to the man stalking them.

“It appears he has confused my protection as some sort of sign of human affection. I do understand the practice is slightly taboo in this time-period, but I do not understand why it would be worth becoming hostile over. Homosexuality is a natural occurrence in most mammalian species, so I do not see the problem. Your hostility over this concept is quite illogical to me.”

“WHAT? WHY DID YOU SAY THAT? YOU’RE NOT HELPING HERE PAL!”

The man chuckled. it was a slight chuckle before it turned into a hearty laugh.

“Why, you two make for the interesting duo, but I need to finish what I’ve started here. But don’t worry, you’ll have more time to entertain our army once you’re under our watch.”

Joseph grind his teeth together, if he did not know better, he would bust the man’s face in.

“You’re part of the S.S army?” Asked the T-800.

“Wait, what army?” Joseph asked as he tried to approach the man. The T-800 held out its arm to prevent Joseph from coming any closer.

“Why, yes, I am. I’m guessing you’re the more perceptive one of the two. So that means if I get the chance, I will eliminate you first.” He said.

“Why are you following us?” Said the T-800.

“Oh, I’m not following. I’m in the business of capturing, see. Our army would like to ask you some questions about Straits, especially you, Joseph, Joestar!”

Joseph eyes widened. “Straits, why would you be interested in him?”

“I’m afraid I cannot allow that. If you come any closer, I will have to use lethal force.” Said the T-800.

“You two think you can take on the blade of S.S. Commander Donovan with just your bare hands?” Donovan licked his hand, before revealing another blade. 

“I’m almost insulted. But since you insist, I’m happy to oblige!” Donovan charged at the two.

The T-800 prepared for the attack. but Joseph pushed it out of the way. “Move, I got this.”

“Sounds great, but how ‘bout I give you back your magic flee-ridden magic rag?” Joseph said as he threw the rag in Donovan’s face.

He readied his Hamon before punching the rag.

“Be careful, our attacker might use-“

“Ahh!” Joseph screamed as he reeled back his fist slightly.

“Cactus Needles!” Joseph looked at his glove that had cactus needles protruding from it.

The T-800 in that instance, almost felt a slight feeling of disappointment in Joseph.

Donovan reached towards Joseph, in that moment, the T-800 grabbed Donovan’s wrist, practically crushing it before flinging him against a cactus. It was like Donovan was no more than a mere ragdoll for the terminator. That cactus broke in half. Donovan screamed at the top of his lungs, clutching his wrist, he looked at the T-800 in complete fear. His screams were sometimes interspersed with him coughing blood.

Joseph looked at the T-800 in surprise, “What the hell was that?”

“The attacker planned to dodge your attack with cactus needles before ambushing you, I simply prevented that from happening.”

“And, so what? If he did, I would have easily gotten out of that situation. I didn’t ask you to kill him! Why can’t you just learn to let me fight my own battles, GAGHH!”

“He is not dead, although he has taken severe damage as I’ve broken three of his ribs and his wrist.” It said.

Donovan coughed violently as blood poured from his mouth.

“I may have also damaged his internal organs, but he is still alive.”

“Oh, and that’s somehow supposed to be BETTER?” 

“He is still alive. He can give us information.”

“Yeah, but in _that_ state?” Joseph pointed at Donovan.

“He can still talk which means he will be able to tell us information on Speedwagon.”

Joseph hesitated before resigning.

“Just go ahead and kill me—” Donovan coughed, “because I won’t tell you anything, especially to filthy homosexuals like you.” Donovan coughed again, it was so violent blood spewed from his mouth and hit a cactus next to him.

Joseph balled his fist, “There’s no way this guy is going to tell us anything now, let’s just go and wait for his cronies to rescue him, if he’ll even be alive by then.”

The T-800 knelt-down, locking eye contact with Donovan.

“Do you really believe that I am a homosexual?”

Donovan remained quiet.

“Would you like me to kiss you?” It said.

Joseph’s mouth was agape, he was practically dumbfounded.

Donovan’s eyes grew wide in terror. “You-- You’re n-- not serious, are you?”

“It seems you will not respond to any form of torture, so the only logical option I can reasonably take is to play off your irrational fears.”

The T-800 got closer to Donovan.

“OKAY!” Donovan coughed violently. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know but whatever you do, don’t kiss me!” He whimpered.

“That, actually worked?” Joseph thought to himself.

\---

Joseph looked down at the goggles with tears streaming down his face.

“Okay then, when Speedwagon’s body disappeared, I swore to myself that I would never give up hope, no matter what.” A tear fell on his goggles.

“Turns out he was safe all along.”

“Man, it’s nice to hear some good news for a change.” Joseph looked through his goggles.

“I can’t wait to tell Granny Erina. She’ll be so happy to hear about this.” He puts on the goggles, about to hop onto the motorcycle.

“Although, there’s no way of telling how the Germans have actually been treating him. Regardless, I’ll bring him home, and Granny Erina’s smile will shine like the midday sun.” He thought.

As he was about to get into the motorcycle, the T-800 got behind him, he wrapped his arms behind Joseph.

“Ahh! Hey what the hell? HANDS OFF!” The terminator let go.

“Do you wish to drive now?” Said the machine.

“You’re not actually a- you’re not actually one of those uh, guys, are you? I mean, I know you’re like a robot, but are you really-“

“No, I do not have any human emotions so therefore I cannot have or express any sexual attraction. I do not understand a human’s need to love.”

“So why did you threaten to kiss Mr. German over there, huh?”

“Interrogation tactic. In some cases, it would better suited to-“

“Ok I get it, blah, blah, blah, I don’t care. Just never do that again, okay? And don’t touch me like that again!”

“I’m sorry, but the speed of the bike and my physical human body will cause me to fall off so therefore I—”

“OKAY YOU CAN DRIVE!”

\---

The two sped away from the scene, Joseph was more pissed off then before as he reluctantly clung to the terminator, they drove away from Donovan who was tied to a cactus.

“Wait, don’t leave me here!” Donovan yelped as they sped away.

\---

The suckling echoed throughout the chamber, pounding into Speedwagon’s skull. He could feel it in his brain, it was unbearable. With every crack in the Pillar Man’s tomb, the sooner their doom would come. Speedwagon knew it would not be long until the Pillar Man awoke.

“Look, Major Von Stroheim!” Said a scientist, “The pillar’s shell is starting to crack!”

“It’s currently holding the blood of five prisoners!” Another exclaimed.

“We still don’t know what its full capabilities are! Feeding it anymore could push it beyond our established safety zone.”

“Hmm.” Von Stroheim pondered.

“I’m curious how the blood was extracted in the first place.” Von Stroheim said as he held his glass of water.

“No, Wait! I don’t want to know! I can imagine what sort of things you came up with.” He calmly walked back to the sink, gargling the water before spitting it back out into the metal sink. Speedwagon shuddered, he could almost taste the faint scent of blood in the air. Speedwagon breathed heavily, he just wanted to leave and forget this place ever existed.

“Oh, Speedwagon.” Von Stroheim said as he approached Speedwagon.

He got close to his ear, “No need to look so pale! I told you from the start there was nothing to fear.” Speedwagon finally snapped, this fool, if he only knew.

“STOP BEING SO ARROGANT! YOU’VE NO IDEA WHAT HE’S CAPABLE OF!” He screamed.

“Relax, old man. That test chamber is impenetrable. It has iron walls nearly half-a-meter thick. It’s equipped with flamethrowers, machine guns, and explosives if we need them.” Von Stroheim turned back to Speedwagon.

“I shouldn’t be surprised at all that you’re courage doesn’t even add up to what I have in my little finger, you coward!” He pointed to his finger to give a greater emphasis.

“Want to know what I think Speedwagon.” He said as he got closer to Speedwagon, practically face-to-face with him.

“I think that thing is simply a statue of petrified caveman bones that’s wasting my time!” As if bad luck had struck Stroheim, the statue erupted in gushing waterfalls of blood.

“MAJOR! HE’S ERUPTING!” Cried a soldier.

Speedwagon looked on in abject horror. He knew this time would come but he wished it wasn’t so frightening.

“IT’S BLOOD! THAT BLOOD IT TOOK IN IS SPRAYING OUT EVERYWHERE! I CAN’T SEE A THING!” A scientist warned.

“Activate the sprinkler system!” Stroheim commanded.

The sound of a water-shower rained down upon the statue. As soon as the water touched the man, he awoke. Speedwagon whimpered, it finally awoke, and now they were going to die. He leapt from his pillar, cracks from the pillar fell of his crimson-red body as he fell to the floor. Stroheim tensed up, the false appearance of charisma begins to falter in his eyes, Speedwagon knew his courage was a lie. The water continued to pour, raining down on the Pillar Man like a heavy rainstorm.

“Its outer layer is transforming! It looks like its morphing into flesh!” A scientist gasped in shock from the mere excitement of what he just witnessed. The Pillar Man’s legs trembled and shook, his body looked like a spring ready to burst into action.

“He’s trying to move! I—I think he’s alive!” The scientist yelled.

Von Stroheim began to chuckle.

“Well, he’ll need a name, something better than ‘The Pillar Man.’” He said.

“As his new Godfather, I suppose this task falls onto me. Let me see.” Stroheim thought to himself.

“I’ll name him after the Mexican winds. He shall be known as Santana!” He exclaimed in excitement.

Stroheim watched as his “child,” Santana attempted to stand. 

“Look, he’s trying to stand! Rise before us! Rise up and show us what you are made of, Santana!” Stroheim egged on, he liked to imagine his encouraging words where about to make his “child” stand.

Then, Santana slipped on the wet floor, landing right on his fest. Santana grunted softly. The scientists gasped at Santana’s little mishap. Santana raised his head, gently sniffing the air like an unsure puppy. Santana then lifted himself, cracking his knuckles like he was an Olympic athlete ready to take on his first discus throw. Santana then mercilessly scratched his copper-brunette hair.

Stroheim simply pointed and laughed, like a small girl making fun of another girl for getting gum in her hair. It was if in that moment, Santana became Stroheim’s court jester for his entertainment.

“You see that! Santana might have a future doing comedy in the cabaret.” He chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye.

“The ultimate organism? More like, the ultimate idiot! What do you think there, Speedwagon?” Stroheim said as he pointed to Speedwagon.

“He’s got the brains of a feral animal. He’s trying to smell his way around. He’s really just a primitive man!”

Speedwagon shuddered, unblinking and completely in disarray.

“This is a farce! Regardless, let’s just move on and assume he made the masks!”

“You there!” He called to the soldier next to him.

“Start the experiment! Somebody open the door to the next chamber.”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier obliged.

\---

Santana awoke in a room, it was cold. Cold not like in the stone of the Aztec caves, but an odd cold. It felt smooth, yet hard at the same time.

“What an odd material.” He thought.

He tried to stand, but the water from the heavens above made him slip and fall. He used his senses to get a greater bearing of his situation. He was in a small cave-like structure, he understands that. Was he, in the bottom of a cave? Is that why he could feel the rainwater above him? No, there was something odd about this water. He was not in the ruins, there was no logical explanation for his tomb to be moved while he slumbered. The water come from one spot, odd cylinder structures above him. It was true then, somehow, he was moved. Does that mean, someone had disturbed his slumber? He had to make sure.

He stood up, loosening his joints so he could navigate the structure a bit easier. He scratched his head, removing the excess water from his hair. He looked around the chamber, it had an odd, shiny quality to it, but it was not fashioned in any gold or silver, that was certain. He looked up to see the light above him, it was not light from the sun, as far as he knew, no villager could make his ruins so bright with mere fire. That confirmed in his mind, he was disturbed, by someone. He smelt the air behind him, it came from a small chamber flowing in cool air. He could smell the blood of a large body of people, where these the trespassers and disturbers of his slumber? He could only assume so.

“Major Von Stroheim.”

There was that name, just before he awoke. The name echoed through his skull. It repeated over and over until it felt like hamon-infused dagger in his brain. This must be the name of a man, the man that disturbed him. He felt an echo behind him, he covered his face with his arm as it was accompanying by a bothersome bright light. What was this stone chamber?

A figure appeared before him. He smelt his blood, the distinct scent of a vampire, those who turned from the influence of the mask.

\---

“What? What’s that supposed to be?” Speedwagon asked wearily.

“A prisoner, well, a prisoner, with a mask actually.” Replied a smug Stroheim.

“Is—Is that a vampire?” Speedwagon asked.

“Only a few days ago, that thing was a feeble, toothless old man knocking on death’s door. We still haven’t fed him today, so he must be thirsty. I think he’ll go straight for the attack!” Stroheim explained happily.

“Who will win? I can hardly wait!” Stroheim cheered in a sickening excitement. Speedwagon trembled, this man was sick.

\---

The vampire came close to Santana, Santana wanted to return to his slumber, but supposed he wouldn’t turn down a quick feast. The vampire struck both of Santana’s arms, his flesh absorbed the flesh of the vampire, oh how relieving it was to have his first meal since his long slumber. Voices could be heard from the small and narrow chambers that were blowing air in his direction.

“What? That’s all? He didn’t even put up a fight! He’s an ordinary man after all!”

“This voice, it sounded familiar, was that the voice of this Major Von Stroheim?” He thought.

“We don’t have any other test subjects for this test, Major Von Stroheim.”

“Ah, so that voice is Major Von Stroheim.” Santana thought.

“We planted explosives in the prisoner’s head for this exact situation! Just give us the word, and we’ll activate them immediately.” 

“Explosives? That is a new word, curious, I must be in a new millennium.” Santana thought. It was the only conclusion Santana could come up with to explain his bizarre newfound situation. The humans must have advanced themselves far enough to go beyond their mere agricultural lifestyle he seen in so many tribes. Still, they would not suffice against a being such as he.

“Major?”

“Fine.”

The vampire reeled in to chomp on Santana’s neck, this foolish creature. He allowed it bite down, that would assure that the vampire had no other way of moving. He needed it to stay still for his feast. As the vampire attempted to feast, it submerged itself deeper into Santana’s body.

“Wait! Stop! I rescind that order! His jaw, look! What’s happening there with his jaw! His hands, his arms. What’s going on with his arms?”

Santana finally snapped down to feast on the flesh of the vampire. The vampire screamed and whined as Santana ripped away his flesh.

“I’d given him up for dead in the beginning, but look, Santana is somehow absorbing the prisoner!”

“Hmm, curious, how long have these humans have been studying me? I must analyze their new language a bit more to understand.” He thought.

Santana then began to pull the vampire into his, he was weak enough to not struggle as much.

“He’s pulling him straight into his body! He’s devouring him!”

Santana felt a bit of ecstasy as he began his meal, it was pure satisfaction.

“What a marvelous creature! The masked man was no more than fodder for him! Santana feeds with his entire body!”

“No, unfortunately, I can only feast with my jaw. Foolish human, how else do I consume my prey?” Santana thought. 

“So—So nothing is lost… He can absorb every bit of his prey’s life force down to the last drop!” the voice began to waver.

Santana pulled the remaining limbs of his prey into his body.

Human voices chimed in horror, to Santana, it seemed these humans have never seen him feast before. He must indeed be in a new millennium.

“He ate him! He actually ate the masked man!”

“How is that even possible?”

“Now look! He’s—He’s grown something!”

“Get a grip! As long as he’s still in that chamber. He can’t hurt you. He just gained a little weight from his feeding, that’s all it is.”

“As long as I am in this chamber?” Santana thought. “So, there is a possible escape. I presume through the tiny chambers that are blowing air.” He thought.

“His—His intelligence.” A new voice chimed.

“And what about his intelligence? What level of thought is he capable of?”

“It seems this human is cleverer than the rest.” Santana thought.

“Huh?”

It was time for Santana to address this, “Major Von Stroheim.”

“Ma—Major Von Stro—Stroheim.” He said. Santana was a bit marveled at this new language how odd its phonetic and lingual structures were.

\---

“What? But how did he—he said—how did he know my name?” Stroheim shrieked. He attempted to bring his voice down as to not show his fear. He was strong after all, the weak needed to be cut off after all.

“HE’S NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM IN THERE!” Stroheim yelled, his voice wavering faster than before.

Santana glared at Stroheim. His engagement completely centered on him. A slight bit of dread hit Stroheim, his hands shook. He would not let the Pillar Man phase him.

\---

Joseph looked at the “village” from afar with his goggles. It was probably the base he was looking for. The T-800 peered over the cliffs next to Joseph, eyeing the sight intensely. It looked like a very old village covered in palm trees with its own church of sorts.

“According to our cactus pal, Donovan, the underground facility we’re looking for is down there somewhere. If he’s telling the truth, Speedwagon should be inside. So now, how are we supposed to get in there?”

“I detect entrance not far from where those two guards are standing.”

“What? You mean you were able to spot that all the way from here?”

“Of course, I made an x-ray map of the full facility. The entrance to go underground is in that building.” The terminator pointed.

Joseph inspected the general area where the building was. “Really? That one? Why?”

“It is the only building directly above the facility, no other buildings connect to it, so it is the only possible building connected to the underground facility.”

“How do I know you’re not spouting nonsense?”

“If I were to lie to you over something like this that means you would not even be alive.”

 _“WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?”_ Joseph croaked, trying to not be loud.

“To lie over basic information would indicate that I am not your guardian. Terminators are naturally programmed to lie to give their victims a false sense of security. If I lied to you, that means you would have already been dead by now.”

Despite the intense heat, Joseph felt a cold chill go down his spine. “You know, why did I even bring you with me?”

“You brought me because I knew how to help you find Speedwagon. I also have been reprogrammed to protect you at every moment, so I would have gone with you regardless.”

“Does that mean I can’t get rid of you?” Said Joseph.

“No.” The terminator said bluntly.

Joseph sighed, he returned to spying on the base through his goggles, they both had below average features. Joseph then thought of something.

“Look, I know of a way we can get in.”

“You know a way to go inside the facility without being detected?” The T-800 asked, it almost seemed stunned that Joseph was capable of thinking something.

“No, I got something better.” He said.

\---

There were two soldiers, both with below average features, stopping a few Mexican women who held bags of goods.

“Vegetables, canned goods, meat, ham eggs.” One officer listed off as he inspected the basket.

The local villagers must have traded goods they had to get in to see their loved ones.

“Now then, it’s time for the frisking!” Another officer hooted in excitement.

Joseph watched the scene from a distance in his disguise, it was despicable. These men had no dignity to their names. He couldn’t wait to use his “trick.”

A woman winced as the decrepit soldier touched her body.

“Oh, come on now. Stop making that face. You can give me a little smile.” The guard snickered.

“Lift up your skirts and smile!” The other one called out to the women behind him. The women looked at him in fear, reluctantly lifting their skirts for the ogre. The guard inspected them closely, he was practically almost right under them, absolutely disgusting. If Joseph weren’t afraid to get those women hurt, he would have busted his face in with his knee.

He then stood up, “You’re cleared to go. Next!”

“All I’ve got under my skirt is more tequila, big boy. Is it alright if I bring that through, too?” Joseph asked. The guards looked at him in disgust and slight confusion. To them he looked ridiculous. His bulky frame was barely hidden over his ridiculously pink dress. Not only that, but he was also decorated in so much jewelry it became a distraction in of itself. To top it all off, his red lipstick and pink blush made him stand out like sore thumb. What was this man thinking?

The guards, obviously unimpressed, drew their guns towards him.

“Hands up in the air! Any funny moves and we will shoot you dead!”

“What? Put your guns down! I haven’t done anything!” Joseph said as he put a tequila in each hand as he approached the guards without any hesitation.

“That’s a funny move there!” Said the soldier.

“FIRE!” A guard cried.

“No! Please don’t shoot! I’m not moving, and I got my hands in the air!”

There was a slight pause. As the guards focused on mainly on Joseph, it allowed the T-800 to sneak right behind them. Joseph’s attention had been solely into his role, so he did not notice it stand there.

“Damn! You Germans are so smart! You saw through my disguise almost immediately!”

“Are you crazy? Of course we saw through that thing! You’re disgusting!” 

“Even my big sister isn’t as ugly as you and we used her to plow the wha- HEY!” The terminator then grabbed both soldiers by the collar, smashing their heads together at an incredible speed.

Joseph then took a deep breath as the bottle caps from both tequila bottles popped off, their trajectory led to the tree above them, knocking the fruit from the tree and smacking them upside the head, knocking of their helmets, the terminator bashed their heads together again. Both soldiers were incapacitated.

The terminator then stared blankly at Joseph.

“That is an interesting look. I did not include using overstimulation in such a manner to distract the guards in my calculations.” It said.

“Hey, what the hell does that supposed to mean?”

“The look that you have right now, is… odd.” It paused for a moment, as if it was trying to not insult Joseph in any possible way.

“You’re wearing the attire typical of native woman albeit with added features.”

“Huh?” Joseph asked in confusion.

“It is quite unusual for someone who expresses that they are not homosexual to wear something like that unless they were lying or there are other underlying factors.”

“Are you accusing me of being queer now, is that it?”

“No, but what purpose would you have for dressing that way? You could say that I am ‘curious.’”

“It’s a disguise you idiot! How else was I supposed to get through?”

“But didn’t the guards see through such disguise?”

“Well, I- Look, we don’t have time for this, just help me drag the bodies away from the entrance so no one suspects anything, got it? We have to disguise ourselves to get through.”

“There were multiple different scenarios you could have used, and you would have gotten a similar result without having to dress like that. Besides, you are correct, we are wasting time.”

“WHAT DID I SAY?” Joseph snapped.

“I do not understand your hostility, I am merely stating facts.”

Joseph sighed, “You’re a fucking pain in my ass, you know that, right?”

“Apologies, how did I cause a pain in your buttocks region?”

“GAHH- IT’S AN EXPRESS-“ Joseph put his face into his hands and screamed.

“Just help me, okay?” Joseph whined.

“Okay.” It said bluntly.

\---

“Well, that was disappointingly easy. If I can get this thing to fit, this uniform should work nicely.” Joseph said as put on a soldier’s uniform.

“Are you ready over there, bud?” Joseph asked.

The T-800 stood directly in front of him, its eyes locked onto Joseph’s. Joseph shrieked before falling down.

“Hey! Haven’t you ever heard of personal space, pal?” Said Joseph.

“I’m sorry? Did I do something wrong?” the T-800 asked.

“Look, just come with me, and don’t say anything, go it? You’re kinda getting on my nerves.”

It nodded before walking with him. 

\---

“Wha-- What’s going on?” A soldier screamed.

“I… I don’t know.” A scientist answered.

“You don’t know? Weren’t you watching?” The soldier yelled.

\---

“Major Von Stroheim. I looked away for a moment.” The scientist tried to explain to the Stroheim, who was currently contemplating his situation.

“Surely you understand. I mean, you were here as well, right? It just happens that nobody saw anything.” The nervous anxiety began to build inside of him.

The scientist wearily took his cup of coffee, his hand shook so violently it was hard to keep the contents in the cup. One could clearly see the anxiety caused by the tense situation overwhelm the scientist.

As the scientist was about to take a sip of his coffee to calm his nerves, Stroheim slapped it out of his hand. “PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN!” The coffee fell with a loud crash. The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the room.

The scientist put his hand to his face. “It—it was only for a moment. I took my eyes off of him for just a few seconds. That’s all. I swear. It makes no sense. I mean, my vision is perfect. We all had a clear view, but we don’t know what happened! This is unbelievable.”

Stroheim’s eyes tremble for a few seconds, before a look of irritation spread across his face.

A horrid feeling of bile rose in Speedwagon’s gut. The Pillar Man escaped.

“The chamber is completely sealed, and still the subject somehow managed to escape!”

“None of the walls show any sign of damage!” Another scientist chimed in.

“I don’t care what you saw. I want him found! Keep in mind, he may have concealed himself somewhere inside the chamber. Simply cut off the oxygen supply in there. He’ll turn up when he finds out that he can’t breathe.”

Another soldier entered the chamber, “The recorded film is now ready for your viewing, Major Von Stroheim.”

“What are you waiting for? Set it up!” The Major commanded.

“Yes, sir!” The soldier obeyed. 

The soldiers set the film against the large glass of the test chamber as they began to play the film. In the black and white image, you could clearly see a nude man, Santana in the center. He clutched both of his hands together before closing his eyes. He opened them, before running towards the wall in front of him.

“See that’s he’s running towards the wall, but why?” Stroheim pondered.

The footage then showed Santana kick a wall before launching himself into the air while it showed his body getting thinner with time. His body was basically a noodle, as he was able to squeeze himself into a form of spaghetti. The spectators of the film watched on in amazement and a slight sense of horror. Santana then forced his body into the ventilation shaft, you could clearly see his body become thinner with time as he managed to slip through the opening in the shaft.

“What’s going on? He’s squeezing himself into the ventilation ducts! Those slots are less than five centimeters! How the hell could anyone possibly stuff an entire body through a gap that small?” The Major exclaimed in terror.

“Incredible, he didn’t simply dislocate his joints. He somehow disassembled his entire skeleton, so that he could completely alter his shape at will!” Speedwagon thought.

After the film discontinued as the lights came back on.

“You know what this means? He is now wondering around freely somewhere in your base’s ventilation system!” Speedwagon cried.

“Santana already knew your name somehow, Major Von Stroheim, and I think I might know how.” One scientist said wearily.

“The only way that would be possible is if he heard your name through the vents.” Stroheim eyed the room carefully, looking at each vent.

“The vents lead directly into this room?” Stroheim looked at the soldier nearest to the vents.

“You soldier, turn around, and move away from that vent immediately. Go you drummkopf!” He warned. 

The soldier looked at him in a dazed confusion, he carefully eyed the ventilation shaft, looking for what could come through it. The soldier took the gun from his shoulder and readied it, he carefully aimed it in the ventilation shaft. You could see the waterfall of sweat pour off of him. then blue eyes gazed directly into his soul before bursting from the shaft before entering through the nose of the soldier.

Von Stroheim screamed, “It’s Santana! It’s him!”

The soldier turned to face the others, trying to make his way towards them.

“What’s happening to me!?!! Major Von Stroheim!” The soldier screamed in agony.

“What’s happening? Where did everybody go? And why is it so dark in here? Why can’t I see anything?” The soldier begged.

Speedwagon looked into his eyes, they were white as eggshells, and they were bulging. Veins were about to burst through his eyes. 

Speedwagon looked on horror, “This Pillar Man, is like a human parasite. Far worse than any terminator.” He thought.

“Somebody, please, help me! I can’t see! What’s he doing to me?” He said as he stumbled his body towards the other soldiers.

“Santana is trying to take control of that soldier’s body.” The others gasped.

“Someone, anyone, please don’t leave me alone!” He begged.

“You can’t abandon me! Don’t leave me here with him inside— AGGGH!!” He said as tumor like flesh through his back. His back, then face, bloated like a hot air balloon before he erupted into a massively overweight man, or at least, what appeared to be an overweight man.

“Well, well, I fully understand what’s happening here. But I feel like I’m practically bursting with new life!” The man said in a groggy voice as drool leaked from his mouth.

“What a catastrophe.” Stroheim thought, “If this thing escapes, I’ll be known for creating the Fatherland’s most powerful enemy.”

“We must destroy him!” Cried one of the soldiers.

“Very well! Take him out! Open fire and shred that monster to pieces!” Stroheim commanded.

The soldiers then fired at the blob of a man, filling his entire body with bullets.

“Stop, that tickles!” The blob laughed demonically before falling to the ground.

The blob then trembled, before crawling towards them.

“He’s still alive!” A soldier screamed.

“Impossible! The bullets, they have no effect on him!” Cried another soldier.

Stroheim whimpered softly.

“He’s an abomination!” A soldier cried as the blob stood back up.

The blob then slowly raised its hand to point at the soldiers.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” A soldier whimpered.

“Why is he pointing at us?”

“Nobody move, don’t you see?” Stroheim explained, “He’s imitating one of your machine guns. Look, he’s just copying what he’s seeing. So, when he spoke earlier, he only said my name, but did not understand it, which means, he’s not intelligent. He just apes what he sees, and that gives me a great idea!”

Stroheim smiled wickedly, “If he’s only capable of acting like a monkey, we should start preparations for using him like one!”

The blob expanded its jaw, then collapsed to the ground.

“You…” A voice spoke. 

“Which one of you…” the soldiers gasped.

“…was foolish enough to disturb my slumber?”

Stroheim yelped before backing away like a scared cat, “He—He spoke!”

“He’s clearly capable of higher thought! I bet he possesses a great intelligence. He just learned our language. Don’t you understand that he did that in almost no time?” Speedwagon said to Stroheim.

“Die…”

“What the?”

The flesh around the blob’s hand burst to reveal a pale and pearlescent hand. The finger then fired a shot a bullet straight into the skull of one solider, causing him to fall to the ground. His head gushed with blood. It was a bullet collect from the machine guns that the soldiers fired into blob.

“That must have been one of our bullets.” Said one soldier.

“He’s shooting at us! He’s going to kill us all!” Cried another.

A soldier walked behind Speedwagon, “Let’s go, old man. We better get you to safety.” He said.

Speedwagon turned his head.

“There’s no telling how many more bullets that monster might have inside of him.”

“Just leave me!” Cried Speedwagon.

“The last thing right now is help from a German flunky!”

“What a pain.” The soldier sighed.

The soldier then got in front of him, “You never change, I’m glad to see that you’re still just as stubborn as ever.”

Speedwagon’s eyes widened, “It couldn’t be…” He thought.

Santana then burst from the blob. The blob split into two before falling to the floor. He was elegant yet frightening at the same time from the way he burst from the blob. Blood decorated his muscle-toned skin. The Pillar man knelt as he eyed the soldiers in front of him. Out came the wonderful Santana, ready to destroy anyone in his path.

“SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING! OPEN FIRE!” Stroheim shrieked.

Santana then dashed towards Stroheim.

“NO STAY AWAY!” He cried.

Another soldier got closer to Santana then the others. The other soldier near Speedwagon grabbed a lock of Stroheim’s hair, practically knocking off his hat from his body.

“Pardon me, I’ll need a bit of your hair, just a small handful or two.”

“What do you think you’re doing? Let me go!” Stroheim demanded.

“The more you fight, the more it’ll hurt.”

“You’re assaulting a superior officer!” Stroheim yelled.

“OW!” Stroheim screamed as the soldier yanked the lock of hair from his head.

“Who are you? I know that demeanor, but it couldn’t be.” A wave of electricity bright as the mid-day some flowed through the hair.

“I call this one the old Hamon hair attack!” The soldier shouted. The electricity ripped of the soldier’s revealing it to be none other than Joseph Joestar.

“But that means… That means… you’re… Joseph Joestar!” Cried Speedwagon.

The Pillar Man then fired the remaining bullets it acquired. One soldier threw another out of the way, the soldier fell, bumping into a scientist before falling to the ground. They were injured, but at least they were saved. The soldier engaged eye contact with Santana, whose glared right back at him.

The remaining bullets were aimed directly at Joseph, who used his hamon barrier to deflect the incoming bullets.

“Barrier up!” He shouted. Joseph maneuvered his hands to ensure the barrier remained strong.

The last soldier standing still engaged eye contact with Santana whose fingers reformed.

Joseph looked at the remaining hair he clutched in his hands. Stroheim rubbed his head. Meanwhile, Speedwagon eyed one of the soldiers with great suspicion.

“You’re gonna lose your hair if you’re not careful, Mr. German Army man. That felt like sandpaper.” He said as he brushed away the remaining hair.

“You should consider investing in a decent moisturizer.” Joseph commented.

“But how long have you been here, Joseph?”

“Meh, me and my buddy just got here.” Santana picked up a piece of hair before staring at intensely while he kept his eye on the remaining soldier. The remaining soldier and scientist on the ground looked up in bemusement and confusion. One scientist looked in horror before pretending to play dead, the other soldier looked at the scientist and followed suit.

“Buddy?” Speedwagon asked.

“H-Hair.” Santana muttered as he observed the hair in-front of him, crouching down for a closer inspection. He studied the small piece of hair with vast intensity, like a master chess-player carefully studying the board for his next attack.

Joseph took of his shirt, “Sorry I took so long. I’d have been here sooner if I’d known what kind of party was going on. Also, my buddy can be quite the nuisance, so bear him no mind.”

“I hope your ‘buddy’ is not the thing in front of me here, JoJo, because if it is, we have much more to worry about than the Pillar Man!” Said Speedwagon.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Stroheim asked.

“Weren’t you paying attention Stroheim, when the Pillar Man fired the rounds it collected from those soldiers, one of your soldiers didn’t fall. He was shot thirty times and he was just standing there as is nothing happened!”

“What?” Stroheim gasped as he looked at the other remaining soldier.

“I may have lied to you when I told you I had nothing else to tell you Stroheim, there is something else you need to know. This goes for you too Joseph.”

“WHAT? BUT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE, THE TRUTH SERUM WOULD HAVE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO KEEP SOMETHING FROM ME!” Stroheim screamed.

“Indeed, but you never asked about it, so I didn’t say anything. I could tell you information, that I am sure of. But this, this has been something that hasn’t been spoken of in fifty years.”

“What are you saying?” Stroheim asked.

“In the future, man will create a machine known as Skynet. It became so powerful and intelligent that it managed to nearly drive humanity to extinction! It also learned of a way to send its machines back in to time to prevent any threat to its mere existence. So that only leads me to two conclusions, either the thing I see in front of me is a vampire, or it is one of those machines.” Speedwagon explained.

“JoJo, was it daytime when you came down here?” Speedwagon asked.

“Oh, you’re referring to him over there. Yeah, it is daytime, so what?”

“Then it is what I feared that thing, i-- is a terminator!”

“WHAT? Okay, vampires, I get that. Pillar Man, I _clearly_ get that. There’s one right Infront of us!” Stroheim commented as he gestured towards Santana. “Sentient machines sent from the future, you just sound like you’re just pulling things out of your arsch, Speedwagon! As if I would ever believe such nonsense!” Stroheim scolded.

“No! What I am telling you is the truth! These things are real! Please, JoJo, get away from that thing! There’s no telling what it will do!” Speedwagon cried.

“Shut up both of you!” Joseph commanded.

“And the ‘it’ you’re referring to is my uh—friend. ‘It’ helped me get here after all.” He said.

“Friend? JoJo please don’t tell me you actually befriended that thing!” Speedwagon pleaded.

“Shut up! Let’s address the Pillar Man in the room please?” Joseph snapped. 

“S- Sky-net.” Muttered Santana as studied the “man” before him, standing back up as he spoke.

“M- machines. Terminators.” Said Santana.

Santana walked closer towards Joseph, the other “man” responded by stepping in front of him.

“Hey, what’s with the hostility!” Said Joseph.

The “man” stayed silent.

“Hey, you can talk now!”

“I highly suggested we turn back, the entity before us is extremely dangerous.” It said.

“Speak for yourself! Your kind brought the near destruction of humanity itself!” Speedwagon yelled back.

“What? You want to turn back? We cannot let that thing escape!” Stroheim yelled.

“Destruction of humanity?” Santana asked as he got closer to the “man.” The “man” aimed the machine gun in his face in return.

“What does that mean?” Santana asked.

The three diverted their attention back to Santana.

“Do not come any closer, if you do, I am afraid there will be severe consequences.”

“Do you think you can hurt me, primitive?” Said Santana.

“Jo- JoJo!” Stroheim mouthed, “I’ve heard so much about you.” He muttered to himself. 

Stroheim grunted. A realization came over Stroheim, he remembered that he needed to tell Joseph something, something important.

“Hnngh, don’t listen to Speedwagon, JoJo! Listen to me and listen well. Santana here, this so-called Pillar Man, uses a mask to turn men into vampires! He does this to make them stronger, and then he devours them. Destroy him! I don’t care what your ‘buddy’ is! Both of you, take him out while there’s still time!” He screamed.

“There is a Pillar Man before us and one of our protectors is a terminator? How does this day keep getting worse!?!!” Speedwagon thought as he closed his eyes.

Joseph removed his jacket as the machine and the Pillar Man engaged in an intense eye-battle.

Joseph tried to get closer to Santana, but the machine pushed him away with his right arm.

“Hey, relax! I’m just getting a closer look.”

“I am warning you Joseph, do not come any closer. This entity is extremely dangerous.” It said.

“Dangerous? How do we know that? All I want is a closer look at the guy! Who knows? Maybe he’s not as hostile as you think he is! I don’t want to assume he’s evil just because he killed a bunch of brainless—”

“WHAT ARE YOU INSANE?” Stroheim interrupted. “If he’s not evil, why did he kill all my men?”

“I don’t know.” Joseph snapped back towards Stroheim, practically pointing his finger directly into Stroheim’s face, who winced back in return.

“Some would say you’re responsible for what’s happened. Weren’t you the one experimenting on him and trying to blast him away in the first place?” Joseph said as he stuck two fingers up Stroheim’s nose.

“Not that I really care about that. The only reason I’m here is to make sure that Speedwagon makes it back to New York safe and sound.” He said.

“Anyway, I’m not here to fight.” Joseph said as he released Stroheim who almost fell on his back. He stared at Joseph in complete shock.

“Now move aside buddy, I got this.” Joseph said as he attempted to push the machine out of the way.

“Negative.” The machine responded.

“What? Aren’t you supposed to be following my orders?” He asked.

“The entity is extremely hostile and attempts to provoke him would likely result in your immediate death. As I said before, I am programmed to negate orders that would likely result in your death.” It said.

Joseph clutched his fist together, “I am going to say this one last time. Move. Now.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” It said.

“Well, if you don’t do what I say, I order you to shut down!”

Santana got closer to what he saw as the “man.”

Speedwagon gasped. “What? JoJo, you mean it will actually turn off?”

“NO, WHAT? YOU WANT HIM TO DIE? DON’T DO THAT! WE NEED ALL THE MANPOWER WE GOT!” Stroheim screamed.

“Stop messing around you two, destroy Santana!” Stroheim ordered.

Santana then grabbed the “man’s” face, Stroheim panicked. “NO! SANTANA IS GOING TO KILL HIM TOO!” The “man” reeled back a slight bit from his touch. Santana’s eyes widened, drawing his hand away slowly, he looked at his hand which was covered in blood. He then looked at the face of the “man.”

Santana had left a hand-shaped mark upon the man’s face. Underneath that mark was a cold, skeletal face with a piercing red eye, it remained entirely focused on Santana. Joseph almost wanted to shriek. It was horrifyingly unhuman to look at. Stroheim eyes widened with his mouth was slightly agape, tears fell down his face. The were not tears of sheer terror, but sheer adornment. Speedwagon screamed, he demanded to leave.

“Incredible…” Stroheim thought.

Santana watched as the flesh regrew over the cold substance.

“Is… Is that what you look like under there? Jesus, I can see why you need skin. You look really ugly without it.”

“JoJo, this is not to play games! Just back away and let them fight!” Speedwagon yelled.

“Interesting, what the human says is true. This thing, is not human.” Santana thought.

The machine then grabbed Santana’s arm. Stroheim watched as what appeared to be the machine breaking Santana’s wrist into dust. Santana responded quickly by turning his arm into a rubber substance before pulling it away.

“This thing, it is also strong.” Santana commented.

“Hey, hey, hey. You’re not just going to walk, away are you?” Said Joseph.

Santana remained silent.

“C’mon, loosen up big guy! How about a smile? You got a nice, you could do modeling sometime.”

“Joseph, this is not appropriate time to engage in theatrics, it will only provoke him more.” Said the machine.

“Theatrics? Maybe you should learn how to lighten up.” Joseph pointed his finger at the machine, who remained perfectly still.

“All you ever talk about is how every single little threat is a danger to me. You baby me, lecture me, all you every do is complain, blah, blah, blah! You’re no better than a woman!”

Santana turned around, walking towards the lights he saw before him.

“That was rude. He just walked right through us like we weren’t even there. Who the hell does this guy think he is?” Joseph thought before smiling.

“Maybe I should teach him a quick lesson.” He thought.

Joseph then turned to Santana. “Hey buddy!” Said Joseph

“Joseph, it would not be wise to engage him now.” Said the machine.

“Hey, a nice trip!” He said as infused hamon into his leg to trip Santana, he expected him to fall. However, the most unexpected thing happened.

His leg, it curled, ripping straight through Joseph’s pants before continuing to walk away. Joseph reeled back in shock before falling on his butt.

“Wh—What the hell was that?” Joseph asked.

Santana walked over to a machine gun lying on the floor.

“That was the weirdest felling, and it hurt.” Joseph said as he examined his leg.

Santana slowly picked up the machine gun, examining it closely.

“That thing, is like this tool. Cold and long with many different pieces.”

“He does understand!” Speedwagon gasped. “He’s not simply mimicking. It took him practically no time at all to completely understand our language. As far as intellect goes, he’s no different than a terminator!”

A metal clank could be heard. The others turned their attention back to Santana, who managed to dissemble the gun. As he carefully removed each piece of the gun, Joseph looked at it and marveled. The machine simply watched him with his weapon drawn, not keeping his eyes off him.

“Unlike this tool. It is capable of thought. It can grow human flesh. It makes itself… look like a primitive.” He said. 

“How—How is he doing that?” Joseph asked.

“He took it apart. He dismantled that entire weapon like some sort of expert gunsmith.”

“It takes a soldier dozens of hours to learn how to field-strip that fast!” Stroheim marveled.

“H- He’s using his using his vast intellect to learn everything!” Speedwagon commented.

“So bright.” Santana said as he covered his eyes with his arms, “This light is new to me. What is it?” He asked. 

“Don’t you see? We weren’t the ones observing all this time! He was actually watching us! You see? The only thing that makes him different from a terminator is that he has flesh!”

Joseph walked behind Santana. The machine tried to stop him, but Joseph temporarily flashed the machine with his hamon. He used his hand to create a bright spark of hamon directly in its face to blind it for a mere second. When it could finally see, Joseph was already behind Santana.

“Sorry I had to do that, but you keep getting in my way.” He thought.

When Joseph was finally behind Santana, he bonked him with a soldier’s helmet.

“Hey, big guy, you wanna learn a new joke? Just stop me if you’ve heard this one before.” Said Joseph.

“Knock, knock, knock, knock.” He said as he bonked the Pillar Man upside the head.

“AH!” Stroheim screamed.

“JoJo get away!” Speedwagon warned.

The skin over his ribs wriggled and squirmed for a short second. It was like maggots were crawling under the skin of Santana’s ribs.

“You are playing games, primitive. I do not want to… play games.”

Massive spines then protruded from Santana’s sides and attempted to wrap themselves around Joseph. These were rib blades, sometimes known as fighting ribs. They’re capable of being manipulated in any direction. Their maximum reach can be 132 cm and the maximum pressure they can exert is 825 kg/cm2.

“What the?” Joseph said before being pushed out of the way. He slid as he fell next to Stroheim.

Suddenly, Santana was pushed against the wall, a light was knocked over the process, he immediately rescinded his blades. Santana could feel the force of a foot being exerted on him. He turned around and saw it was that machine. You could hear the small cracking of Santana’s skull from the sheer force of the kick. Of course, Santana’s skull reformed before there was any great damage, if any damage at all. Santana flew and smacked himself against wall before sliding down to the ground slightly. The force also blew the machine away, the machine managed to catch itself by dragging its fingers through the metal floor, leaving a long scratch mark on the ground. It then stood up and readied itself for another encounter.

Speedwagon and the others gasped in shock.

“My God, even though this Pillar Man is capable of great feats of strength, the machine managed to pummel Santana against the wall like he was nothing more than a ragdoll!” Speedwagon commented.

“HAHAHA!” Laughed Stroheim. “If these things are the terminators your speaking of Speedwagon, then that means there is nothing to fear! Don’t you see? The terminators are an evolution of German engineering! We’re saved! We’ll be saved by German science! GERMAN SCIENCE IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD!”

“How are you sure they were made by your guys, Stroheim?” Speedwagon asked back.

“I don’t think this is the time for your unwarranted nat--” Speedwagon was interrupted by Santana.

“You… are no primitive.” Said Santana as he stood up. He turned around, facing the terminator directly. He began to stretch while he talked to the machine.

“Yet, the humans, this Joestar, this fool, he treats you… like a monkey.” Said Santana.

Joseph growled in anger, what did he just call him?

“He gives you orders, and yells at you when you disobey.” He said as he continued his stretching.

Speedwagon gasped, “This is what I was afraid of. The Pillar Man, The terminators, They’re practically the same! Don’t you see, JoJo? They all think alike! That machine will abandon you for its own interests! Let’s get out of here JoJo!”

“I have been reprogrammed to protect Joseph Joestar no matter the cost. I obey his orders to ensure the survival of mankind. I can assure you I will not harm him.” The machine.

“Yet he insults you, why?” Said Santana as he cracked his knuckles.

Santana stopped. “This human… has no respect for you. None of these humans… respect you.”

Joseph shot up and looked at the machine.

“Are you indicating that I should abandon Joseph Joestar?” The machine asked.

“We could… join forces. You need to do something here… Why… Obey the whims of a primitive? When… you can have an ally… that respects you.” Santana replied.

The terminator walked over to Joseph and grabbed his arms, Joseph yelped as it practically managed to overpower him.

“OH GOD! THE MACHINE AND SANTANA ARE ALREADY POWERFUL ENOUGH! IF THEY JOIN FORCES, THEY WOULD BE UNSTOPPABLE! THEY WOULD KILL US ALL!! NOTHING WILL STAND THEIR WAY! WE’RE GOING TO DIE!!” Stroheim shrieked.

“I have to initiate the self-destruct sequence now or will be known for releasing a demon against the Fatherland!” Stroheim thought.

“AHH! I TOLD YOU TRUSTING A TERMINATOR WAS A BAD IDEA!” Speedwagon screamed.

Joseph, for a moment, looked at the machine in absolute fear. Was this thing really going to betray him? After everything he said. Sure, it seemed possible that Joseph could kill Santana with his hamon, but what could possibly stop a terminator? It doesn’t have a hamon nor a sunlight weakness. Joseph just witnessed him getting shot thirty times without even wincing, so he knew any practical weapon would be useless against it. He would have to need something as equally strong or greater to stop it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have anything like that currently. An explosion could possibly do it, but who’s to say it can’t survive that as well?

The machine then looked at Santana dead in the eyes, before firing a bullet point blank into Santana’s face. Santana screamed in pain as a burst of sunlight ripped through his head, he clutched his head as he collapsed to the ground. Unbeknownst to Santana, there was a one rule that defined the terminators. It was one of the most fundamental rules of the terminators, in fact. That rule was that they could not be argued nor reasoned with. This terminator was programmed to protect Joseph Joestar, and nothing will stop it from accomplishing its mission!

“I’m afraid I cannot do that. I am ensured with Joseph Joestar’s protection and I will not betray him to follow your interests.”

Joseph looked at him bewildered, “Well, that’s a relief. Here I thought you were going to betray me!” Joseph sighed in relief.

Stroheim laughed nervously, “See, uh, Speedwagon, nothing to fear!”

“Wait a minute, how were able to use hamon? You are machine, right? And that means you’re unable to breathe, so how were you able to-?”

“Correct. I cannot breathe, I absorbed some of your hamon into my body, that hamon traveled through my body and into the machine gun, which was how I managed to capture some of that hamon into the bullet. In human terms, you could say I used my body as a super-conductor and passed it into the gun.”

“Wow that’s clever, actually. You know, you’re not actually that bad!” Joseph said as he patted him on the back.

“You were lucky… you were lucky that I didn’t engage the self-destruct sequence just now.” Stroheim sighed as he tipped is hat.

“Self-destruct sequence?” The machine asked.

Santana covered his eye as he looked at the terminator with intense hatred.

“How dare you… how dare you… strike me? You… are primitive after all. No, you are worse than something primitive… you are… something else.” Santana then charged towards the machine.

“Well, since you just threatened to kill us all and called me a fool, I have no choice but to take you down, ARGGH!” Joseph cried as he ran up to Santana, punching him square in the chest with his hamon. Then the most peculiar thing happened, the hamon did not affect him, and more peculiar, the blood around him began to rise.

“Huuuh? What the devil? My hamon is making that blood float?” 

“Something’s wrong here. My hamon is running off him like rain on a raincoat. He’s somehow repelling it and pushing it into all this blood. I don’t understand it.”

Santana observed the human intensely.

“His skin is acting like a ground. Somehow it’s behaving like the scarf Straits gave me.”

“My body and his body seem to be repelling one another.” Santana thought.

A mass a flesh than appeared in front of Joseph. Just as that happened the machine managed to pull him away before it could crunch down on his hand like a bear trap.

“Woah, close!” Joseph cried.

“So that is how you managed to strike me. You used the human’s energy, this spark.” Santana said.

“My apologies, machine, you are more… intelligent than I had previously thought. This human is… special. I have yet to see such a human of his type. Is he a unique specimen… or do all the humans of his particular class possess the same properties? Could it be related to age?” Santana said as he approached Speedwagon, he was only a few meters away from him before he was stopped.

“Negative.” Said the machine.

“Joseph is a Hamon user, he is versatile in creating life energy. How he does this I will not reveal.” Santana then looked back at the machine.

“WHAT? YOU’RE JUST GOING TO TELL HIM THAT?” Joseph snapped.

“You know of his condition?” Santana asked.

“Yes. That is all you need to know.” The machine said as his gun was still aimed directly at Santana.

“So then, battling the both of you will be… troublesome.” Santana concluded.

“So that means… I must kill you first.” Santana said as he eyed the chain below him. He then picked up the chain and wrapped it around what he thought was the machine, but standing there, it was none other than Joseph.

“Joseph, you will get yourself killed, move now!” The machine commanded.

“Not who I intended, but it will work.” Santana said smugly.

“Relax, I got thi- AHH!!!” Joseph screamed as he was dragged away by the chain.

Santana then leapt towards the window, shattering the glass and falling into the test chamber. The machine leapt after them.

“J- JOJO!” Speedwagon yelled.

Santana then threw Joseph into the pillar. “AHH!” He screamed as his body was submerged into the pillar.

“Wh- What the hell?” Joseph asked as he tried to remove himself from the pillar. Joseph then looked at his arms, which were slowly being drained of blood. His arms were being restrained by an odd stretchy-like substance.

“I’m stuck?”

“AHH! NO!!” Screamed Stroheim.

The machine then lunged himself onto Santana, which then they both fell to the ground of the test chamber. Stroheim watch as they fell from below.

“Ah, I can’t let this continue now, I have to activate the self-destruct sequence!” Stroheim panicked. Stroheim rushed over to the self-destruct sequence, beathing heavily as he did. The sweat gushed down his face like a waterfall from the combined heat and stress.

“For the Fatherland!” Stroheim, “And for internal glor—”

“I wouldn’t do that if I we’re you.” Joseph interrupted.

“Everyone just calmed down here. Look’s like our genius Santana here thought he could strap me to the pillar in order to hold me as some sort of hostage. Look’s like Santana forgot one thing, that I could use hamon!” He said as he charged his arm with hamon, the needles and arms connecting him to the pillar evaporating like dust. He managed to free his arm, but then he looked down and realized something.

“Shit, SHIT!” Joseph cried.

“What happened?” Stroheim cried.

“I think I may have realized Santana may have been smarter than I thought. Look where I am, I am near a deep opening.” Said Joseph.

“Look how deep this chamber goes? If I use hamon to free myself here, I would… fall from a very high height with no chance of saving myself. But if I remain here I—get all the blood sucked out of my body. That bastard actually planned this, he wanted me to use my hamon! He did manage to make me a hostage! GAHH!”

Stroheim and Speedwagon looked on in terror. Stroheim balled his fist, there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening. 

\---

As the machine and Santana fell into the chamber, Santana began to speak.

“Odd, I had escaped from this chamber, but now I return to its depths. But you, have no hopes of rescuing your master.”

The T-800 then analyzed the room, it would be a mere 25 seconds before they hit the bottom. It would likely survive the fall impact, but it is more likely that the entity known as “Santana” will use this to its advantage. Once it hit the bottom, it would be likely that this “Santana” will dissemble the T-800 just as it did with the machine gun. Effectively neutralizing it before making its way to a weakened Joseph. If it managed to maneuver itself to use Santana to minimize the impact damage, but due to Santana’s malleability, it would be likely that he would move himself away before that could happen. Santana still held the dagger chain, it managed to realize a plan into its mind. Although strong with fast reflexes, Santana did not have the processing speed of the T-800. It managed to formulate a plan in its mind milliseconds before Santana even began a thought.

“Even though I enjoyed our combat, I will enjoy taking you apart.” He said. The machine then gave an expression that almost appeared to be a smile. Santana became curious.

The T-800 then grabbed then chain and wrapped it around the metal pole near the bottom-left of the pillar that Santana awoke from in place, the remaining chain then wrapped around Santana’s neck. It used the Pillar man and itself as a puller-level system to keep them both on the pole.

Santana then cracked and bend its body into a rubber-like substance. He tried to enter its body like he did with soldier but did not anticipate the agility of the machine. The machine then let go the chain, it bended its body, narrowly missing the Pillar Man. The Pillar Man then changed his body back and tried to grab the machine’s ankle. The machine simply swing itself up into the air and punched a hole into the pillar that Santana awoke from. The whole chamber shook slightly. Joseph looked at him in complete shock. He was planted not far from where the machine was. In fact, he was right above him.

Santana watched in silence as he fell to the floor with a splat.

“Well, that was fast. Also, can try not killing us all in the process?” Said Joseph.

“Major Stroheim.” The machine spoke. “I have a simple query.”

\---

Stroheim gritted his teeth. He was relieved that the machine managed to outmaneuver the Pillar Man, but he was still a threat. From what he just learned. The Pillar Man could simply crawl back up in seconds through the ventilation shaft and back into the room with Stroheim. What should he do?

He responded to the machine.

“Yes?”

“Is there any other known points of weakness for this entity besides hamon?”

Stroheim shook, for this entire conflict. He was able to do nothing, although slightly relieved that he acquired himself two “champions,” he still was not able to do anything to change it. Not even as much as lift a finger. He is simply a spectator. Should he answer?

“Well yes, there is one. Ja, sunlight. That’s it! It was there on the walls of the cave. Sunlight is his natural enemy. The very reason he made the masks was to conquer the sun!”

“Is there any other exits outside of this building? It is almost noon outside according to my internal clock.”

One of the scientists who played “dead” stood up. “Yes, there’s an emergency exit right here in case we needed to evacuate the facility.” He pointed.

“What you two are alive! How?” Stroheim asked.

“The machine, sir. It saved us.” Said the soldier.

“Open it, now.” The machine commanded. The scientist nodded as he ran towards the door forcing it open. The soldier groggily stood up, trying to make his way up to him.

\---

Santana, who was watching their conversation from afar eyed the machine carefully. Unbeknownst to them, he was making his way up the side of the wall. Since his skin can be malleable like rubber, he can use it as a suction cup of sorts to make his up the wall.

“Clever machine. You have put me in a dire position. I must either crawl up to you to stop you from rescuing your master or prevent those humans from allowing sunlight into my chamber.” He thought.

“Still, you will not deter me, machine.” Santana said to himself as he crawled up the wall with an increased speed.

\---

The machine attempt to cut away at the ravenous “arms” that kept Joseph in place, but he stopped it.

“Whoa, wait just a moment. This gave me an idea.”

“We should not waste time. If you let me help you, you can use hamon to free yourself and I can help you get out of the pillar. You are wasting precious resources in your body.”

“No, just wait a moment. This flesh, it came out of Santana, right? I think I get, being restrained to this pillar, I think I know what Santana is made of. His whole body is one big digestive system, every one of his cells, they’re all filled with aggressive digestive enzymes, making it possible to dissolve his entire prey. It looks like he’s absorbing them, when actually he’s digesting them whole. An outside attack won’t do, we need to get him from the inside. Don’t you understand now? I need to get inside of him!” He said as used the hamon in his to release himself slowly, the machine caught his arm.

“Negative. Part of your body mass has already been drained. We need to destroy him some other way.” It said as it slowly brought them towards the pole.

“So what? It’s only just a little, trust me! This will work.” Said Joseph.

“And if you fail?”

“Stroheim can initiate the self-destruct sequence.” Said Joseph.

Stroheim gasped in the response.

“JoJo! You’re not serious!” Speedwagon screamed.

“Negative, that will like end in our collective destruction.” Said the machine.

“And? What else could we do? Without us, there is no way Santana can go on a mid-day stroll without the building going under.” Said Joseph.

Joseph nearly slipped on the pole as he removed himself from the pillar.

“I would have to warn you to watch your balance as this pole as this pole is not that wide in diameter.”

“Yeah, I can clearly see that! Now that I’m free from this pillar we can finally give Santana a nice summer tan.” Said Joseph.

“I’m afraid that will not happen… primitives.” They turned to see Santana standing on a pole next to them.

\---

As the T-800 removed Joseph from the pillar it noticed that Santana had approached. The T-800 simply ignored Santana and freed Joseph, catching him when he fell off.

“Do not come any closer, any further attempts to pursue Joseph will result in your demise.” It warned.

“How, do you plan do that?” Santana then leapt off the pole and into the main control room, directly overhead the self-destruct sequence. Stroheim panicked, bracing himself to fight Santana in any way possible, but even he knew that would be in vain. An odd substance then emerged from Santana’s body, covering the button, effectively preventing a self-destruct of any sort.

“Oh no!” Speedwagon screamed.

Once Santana was again inside the main chamber, it squirted a fleshy material at the remaining survivors attempting to open the door with a flesh substance. The substance then stuck itself to the wall, the two men screamed as Santana crawled back into the main test chamber to face the T-800.

“As you can see, primitives, you are now trapped. There is nowhere else for you to go.” Santana said smugly.

Stroheim balled his fist. He could not take this any longer. He looked at the door that trapped the scientist and the soldier. There must be a way for him to access the self-destruct sequence. He could try getting an ax from the exit, but that was blocked off by the flesh substance.

The scientist looked at Stroheim and asked, “Major Von Stroheim, what do you plan to do? We’re trapped! Get us out of here!”

Stroheim then looked at one of the machine guns left on the ground, he got an idea.

\---

“Aw c’mon, that’s just pushing it!” Joseph thought.

“What are your demands?” The T-800 asked firmly.

“I would like to battle you, machine. I want to observe you up close.” Said Santana.

“And if I should fail?” It asked.

“Like your tool, I will take you apart piece by piece until I understand what makes you so powerful.” Said Santana.

“AW HELL TO THAT!” Joseph screamed as he lunged himself towards Santana.

“If you really want to protect me, I order you not to fight him!” Said Joseph as he got closer to him. That is when Joseph did the most unexpected thing, he turned to the T-800 and winked. It gave Joseph a peculiar look. What did that behavior mean? To the T-800, it recognized that behavior usually meant that they had an ulterior motive. It was like a secret nudge to another party. Joseph did speak of wanting to use his hamon inside the entity, should it allow Joseph to continue this action? It then decided that it should.

“This time, I want to fight Santana and get rid of this nonsense once and for all!”

“How dare you interfere, primitive?” Santana then kicked Joseph right in the stomach. He coughed violently as he was pushed backwards. Joseph then flew back towards the pillar before falling down, luckily, he was caught between the pillar and the pole holding the pillar in place. Joseph then shrugged down. Should he have been in any other position in the test chamber he would have fell to the floor. Joseph took a direct hit to his solar plexus, which would mean that the air forcefully removed from his body. That would mean he could not breathe and thus not produce hamon, it decided to act quickly.

“JOSEPH!!!” Speedwagon yelled.

Santana then charged towards the machine. Santana attempted to punch the T-800 but it was agile enough to dodge the attacks he sent out towards it. Santana activated his fighting ribs, thus causing the machine to leap into the air and over the ribs, right over Santana.

It then tried to restrain Santana, which only caused him to back-kick the machine into the wall.

“You are a fool for abandoning your master, machine, as you fell for my trap. Once I get rid of this primitive, there will be nothing left to stop me from tearing you to pieces.” He said as he picked up Joseph, drawing him into his body.

“JOJO!!!” Speedwagon screamed.

“You’ve got to control your breathing! AHH!” Speedwagon pushed himself forward in the chair causing him to topple over.

“Breathe! JoJo! BREATHE!” He screamed.

Half of Joseph’s body mass was already inside.

The T-800 grabbed the pole before it could fall to the ground, it used its arm to push itself towards Santana. Once it was on the pole it ran towards Santana at light speed.

“Hmm, that’s what I thought you would do.” Said Joseph.

Santana then gave Joseph a surprised look, as if hew would ask, how could this human be alive after all?

“I have to give you some credit, friend.” Joseph said to the T-800. “You put me in just the right position to send an attack straight into Santana.”

“What?” Santana asked.

Joseph then filled with body with Hamon, breaking Santana into two pieces.

Santana screamed in agony as machine gun blast could be heard in the distance.

\---

Stroheim looked at the carnage he caused and sighed, he managed to cut the two people inside the fleshy prison almost free. Bullets from the machine gun fell to the ground as he cut them from the fleshy prison.

“One will not do will it then huh?” He asked himself as he picked up the other remaining rifle on the ground. He held both rifles in his hand before taking a deep sigh, remembering what he must do to contain Santana. He then fired merciless into the fleshy mass.

\---

Santana overheard the gunfire and looked up to the window where Stroheim was, he looked at Stroheim in anger. He would not be defeated by these lowly humans, no matter what it takes. He caught the pole with his hands, Santana then crawled towards the window to Stroheim.

Santana was then stopped. He turned himself around. The machine had managed to ensure him in the chain, preventing him from crawling further towards Stroheim.

\---

“What are you doing?” Joseph asked.

“Santana is an entity that can reform its body parts, we have to restrain him from trying to attack the remaining survivors.”

“No, let him go.” Said Joseph.

“Why?” It asked.

“I have a better idea. If he wants to go let him, and when he does, I’ll see him on the other side.”

“What do you mean?” It asked.

“You’re capable of throwing me back up there from here, right?” Joseph asked.

“I could.” It explained, “but I won’t be able to control where you land, you may risk great injury.”

“Well, if it can get me back up there I’m willing to take the risk. Throw me.”

“Why?”

“Someone’s gotta take Santana to the surface, right? Then I’ll be the one to do it.” Said Joseph.

“Alright,” The machine said as it released Santana. The machine then wrapped Joseph around the chain, ensnaring him tightly.

“Woah, wait, wait, I don’t mean like -AHH NOT AGAIN!” Joseph screamed as the T-800 flung him into the air. Santana then crawled his way up towards the window.

\---

Stroheim managed to free the two from their prison, the scientist then thanked Stroheim for his efforts.

“Now don’t just stand there! Go out there and open the door!” Stroheim screamed. The three rushed up the steps, they were practically right at the door. Stroheim was the furthest down. The soldier was right at the door.

“OPEN IT! NOW!” Stroheim screamed. The soldier obliged, nodding his head as he forced the door open.

“Major Von Stroheim, shall I call for help from the Wehrmacht should you fail?” The soldier asked.

“Yes but wait before you do! If you don’t see in exactly thirty minutes from now then get help. Now go before it’s too late Drummkopf!” The soldier bolted out the door and into the sun, running out into the sun, the soldier knew exactly where to go. The scientist looked over at the soldier then back at Stroheim. The scientist ran outside before shutting the door right on Stroheim’s face.

“HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? HEY ARE YOU LISTENING? OPEN THE DOOR! NUN!”

The scientist then turned the handle from the outside, preventing Stroheim from opening the door. Essentially, Stroheim was locked in from the inside.

“Auf Wiedersehen Major Von Stroheim.” He whispered towards the door before running away.

The scientist knew he had betrayed his superior, but he didn’t care. He knew that thing was going to escape with the door open. So, he had to shut them away to ensure that didn’t happen. Van Halen Steppenwolf also had his own agenda that superseded his Colonel.

\---

“GAHH! THAT HURT!” Joseph said as he rubbed his back slowly pushing himself up.

“JoJo, you’re alive!” Speedwagon cheered in delight.

“Yeah, and now I got make sure Mr. Pillar Man here gets his daily does of sunshine.” Joseph said as he used the chain to wrap something behind Speedwagon. Speedwagon turned his head to see Santana standing over the main controls.

Joseph then used the chain to pull Santana off the controls, and onto the ground.

“C’mon, don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.” Joseph said as he dragged Santana towards the door. Luckily, Santana did not hit any controls as he made his way to the ground.

Speedwagon then heard loud clanking making his way towards him. He looked towards the shattered window where Santana used to be entombed. He shook a little, all this stress could not be good for a man of his age. He winced before seeing the hand. The hand pushed itself up before revealing it was the machine, Joseph’s “guardian.” Speedwagon gasped in shock, he knew it had protected Joseph and managed to almost neutralize the Pillar Man. However, he was still suspicious of it. Maybe that was his own fear or trauma caused by the previous machine Speedwagon encountered.

“Jesus aren’t you quick, how the hell did you get up here so fast?” Joseph asked the machine.

The machine tried to give a response, but Joseph waved his hand.

“You know what, save it for later. Go help Stroheim! I have more important things on my mind, come here Santana, gah!” Joseph grunted as he dragged Santana up the steps. It reminded Joseph of that one story of the man named Sisyphus who had to roll a boulder up a hill. Hopefully, Joseph’s trek would be more successful than that man, because Santana had become quite the struggle.

The machine then ran up the steps, Santana attempted to block it from going forward by ejecting more of its flesh, but it narrowly missed the machine.

\---

“AGH! WHY THE HELL DID HE DO THAT! GAHH! Das Arschlock! I’ll execute him when I see him!” Stroheim cursed.

“What appears to be the problem?” The machine asked.

Stroheim turned his head and almost jumped in glee. “You! Danke Gott! One of our own has betrayed us! Not to worry, you can still open the door, right?” The machine nodded, making his way toward the door as Stroheim got out of the way. It slowly turned the nob, it managed to force the door open slowly, it was only a mere seconds before the door could finally open.

“Hey, little help here? AAHH!!” Joseph cried out in pain. 

“I never once imagined a human such as you would be born during my slumber.” Said Santana.

\---

While the machine went upstairs to go assist Stroheim, Joseph gradually pushed himself up the steps. Every push forward felt like it was zapping almost all of his energy.

“JoJo! NO! He’s running out of breath!” Speedwagon cried.

“He won’t be able to control his hamon! He hasn’t had enough training with it! This fight has completely exhausted him!” Said Speedwagon.

“Cease this foolishness now, you lowly primitive.” Said Santana as he leapt towards Joseph and stabbed him in the arm with the knife, Joseph winced in pain.

“Remember! You must control your hamon breathing!” Speedwagon shouted.

“If I could breathe, I probably wouldn’t be so tired in the first place. C’mon big guy, I think we’ve all had just about enough of you.” He said as he dragged his body forward.

As he crawled forward, he felt something weigh down on his leg.

“What the hell? I feel so heavy, I can’t move.” Said Joseph.

“What, what’s happening to me?” He looked over and turned to see his leg. He turned to his leg to see a giant mass of flesh cling to his leg, sucking the blood from his body. This was known as meat invade, or otherwise known as foul flesh.

Speedwagon heard something slimly crawl towards him, he turned to see a giant mass of flesh crawl onto the main control board. I crawled over a button, activating the sprinklers. Speedwagon turned to see a trail of flesh making its way towards Santana.

“JOJO! SANTANA! HE’S REFORMING!” Speedwagon cried.

“They’re pieces of his flesh! They’re—They’re feeding on me! You—You son of a— GAH!!” Joseph screamed.

“Not to worry, we’re not to far from our friends here.” Joseph said.

“I got to stay focused ahh!” He screamed.

“Hey, little help here? AAHH!!” Joseph cried out in pain. 

“I never once imagined a human such as you would be born during my slumber.” Santana said. 

Santana’s body was almost fully formed, which gave Santana a great opportunity.

\---

“JoJo!” Stroheim screamed.

Stroheim ran down the steps to help Joseph, the T-800 managed to stop him.

“Stroheim, do not approach the entity, it is-“

“EEEEOOOOAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!” Stroheim screamed as Santana ejected a chunk of flesh that severed Stroheim’s leg. The flesh was meant for the machine, Santana meant to use the machine to block off the door, but Stroheim interfered. Stroheim fell onto the steps in complete shock.

The T-800 could not help but almost feel frustrated. Humans are so eager to run to their demise, and every time it tried to warn. Them, Santana held his leg in pain.

“I-It’s okay. I proudly give up my leg for the Fatherland. Open the door, now!!!!” 

“Von Stroheim?” Joseph thought, “And here I thought you were just a bloated powermonger.”

Immediately the machine opened the door, the sun brightened the entire hallway. Joseph almost had to cover his eyes from the sheer intensity of the light. Santana looked to the sun and screeched, cover his eyes, his entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out.

“Tell me, big guy, how does that sunshine feel on your skin?” Said Joseph.

“We did it.” Said Stroheim.

Suddenly, Santana began to bend his body back into a rubbery like substance. The T-800 instinctively grabbed the axe next to it and attempted to swing at Santana.

“What’s he doing?” Joseph asked.

Santana dodged the swing, entering Stroheim’s leg in the process. Stroheim screamed in terror.

“HAH! HELP ME! THAT MONSTER IS TRYING TO CRAWL INSIDE MY LEG!” Stroheim screamed.

The T-800 tried to swing at Santana again, only to miss him entirely.

“AAH!!! AAAAHHH AAHHHH!!!” Stroheim screamed in agony as Santana made his way deeper inside Stroheim’s body.

“Whoa, this is a shock! Von Stroheim’s basically okay and he’s free of any Hamon.” Said Joseph.

Stroheim’s body forced itself up, Stroheim hopped along the path to the well.

“Damn it, you get out of me Santana!”

“I—I can’t believe this thing’s willpower. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Said Joseph.

Stroheim struggled as his body forced itself to the well.

“If he stays in Von Stroheim, He’ll be totally fine even here in broad daylight!” Joseph said.

“I can feel him! This can’t be real!” Stroheim yelled. “Do you want to know what the worst part about this is? My leg doesn’t even hurt anymore. It fells pleasant, can you believe that?”

The T-800 tried to get closer to Von Stroheim, but his body pulled itself further into the depths of the well.

Stroheim wriggled in squirmed, he struggled until he finally pulled out a detonator. The T-800 read the German on the front, which said: “Before Using, Insert A Detonator.”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Joseph asked. Stroheim raised the detonator into the air.

“Put it down, Von Stroheim!” Joseph yelled. The machine attempted to approach Stroheim.

“I could possibly help you remove-“ Stroheim interrupted the machine.

“NO, STAY BACK! YOU’VE SEEN WHAT HORRIBLE THINGS SANTANA IS CAPABLE OF!” He yelled.

“There is no hope! My destiny has been determined! So now, all I can do is destroy the both of us! But I have one more thing to say to you before my time is done!” He said as he twisted the cap off.

“If you two know what’s good for you, you’ll listen closely.”

Joseph grunted.

“Our Wehrmacht, we did not awaken Santana simply for scientific research or military gain!” Stroheim explained as he loosened the top cap with his teeth.

“Then why, why did you risk it? Tell me!”

“Silence!” Stroheim snapped back.

“it’s your destiny to hear these words from my lips Joestar! Santana is just the tip of the iceberg. The Wehrmacht has discovered another pillar in Europe, AH!!” Stroheim winced as his body contorted.

“We now know that Santana is not the only one of his kind around.” He screamed as his body bloated expanded partially, tearing the uniform he was wearing.

“Wait. So there’s more of them? Where are they? Tell me, Von Stroheim, where?” Joseph asked.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have that answer for you Joestar.” He said as Santana rippled through his body like a colony of mango flies wriggling living off the flesh of a dog.

“There are more Pillar men out there, and they have powers that are beyond our wildest imagination. For millennia, those powers have remained dormant but that won’t last and soon they will awaken! You must find another weakness other than just sunlight, or else hope is lost.” It then dawned on Joseph.

“That’s why we were experimenting on Santana, we were looking for that weakness. There’s a battle against the Pillar Men yet to be fought. The events of fifty years ago call upon you for that battle!”

The T-800 then got in-front of Joseph as a way to safeguard him.

“Listen to me, you will need more than just your hamon to overcome them! And you’re off to a great start with your Machine companion, your Speedwagon foolishly thinks it will harm you. But I think they are the next step!” Stroheim grunted in pain as he was gradually forced closer to the well.

“You must go to Rome! There you will find people who can help you!” Stroheim pointed.

“And these people are friends that your Speedwagon knows very well!” He said.

His body moved with a violent force. Stroheim hit himself against the ground so hard that it made dust fly into the air.

“Santana is trying to move my body into the well so he can hide again! But he can’t stop me from opening up my body completely to let the sunshine in!” Stroheim then yanked on the pin with his mouth, the pin dropped to the ground.

“Von Stroheim, don’t you dare!” Joseph warned wearily.

Stroheim chuckled, “Human greatness lies in having the courage to face down one’s fears. Do you know who said that? The Greek Historian, Plutarch.”

The stared at each other for a brief moment. “Farewell…”

“Don’t to it! I still have questions for you!” Joseph screamed as he broke free of the T-800’s hold.

“…You annoying Englishman!” He said as he through the detonator to the ground, causing a massive explosion, the T-800 immediately jumped onto Joseph to protect him.

“Hnngh! Damn that crazy German and all his honor!” He then looked at the T-800.

“GET OFF ME!” Joseph yelled as he pushed the T-800 away. The T-800 immediately let him go.

Joseph then brushed his shoulder as he stood back up, “I’m sure we could have found another way.” Joseph thought.

“Joseph, the entity.” The T-800 nudged to a figure in the mist of the dust. From the dust was Santana, whose body was burned and cracked from the light of the sun.

“SANTANA!” Joseph screamed.

The Pillar Man then ran up to the machine, knocking it twenty feet away from Joseph.

“You annoy me, primitive! You and your pet!” He screamed, “I will destroy you!”

“Use your Hamon technique, steady your breathing!” Joseph thought. Sparks of energy grew around Joseph. They both reeled in for a punch, both hitting their fists at the same time, Santana’s body cracked from the impact. On the other hand, Joseph flew into the well.

“Primitive, why oppose me? You were doomed here from the start!” He screamed.

“Ha! I know just what you’re going to say next. You’ll say, ‘I’ve seen right through you all this time Joestar!’” Joseph said confidently.

“I’ve seen right through you all this time Joestar-“ Santana gasped.

Joseph then moved his head, the light shining in the well managed to hit Santana directly.

Santana screamed as more of his body began to crack.

“It’s high noon over this well. The sun reflecting off the water should cook you nicely, although I doubt you even thought of that. You were thinking of jumping under the nice cool water and getting out of the sun, right?” Joseph commented.

Joseph took a deep breath, “Well screw that idea, I’m not even letting you touch the water!” He said as he dug his arms and legs into the inner wall of the well. Santana screamed as his body shattered and turned into stone.

\---

Joseph took a deep sigh, dipping his head under the water. He needed some of that, this battle nearly wore him out. He could feel the cool water rushing through his scalp. It reminded him of his time playing out in the English fields during the Summer when he was just a boy. Once he got tired, Granny Erina provided him a nice glass of water. It was refreshing.

Joseph turned his head to Santana who was now encased in stone.

“I’m alive, thanks to the sun. He’s a statue now, but now, at least he’s smiling.”

Joseph then dipped his head into the water again, letting the sunlight brush his face in a gentle embrace. He finally did it.

“Joseph are you alright?” A voice called from the top of the well.

“Yeah, and guess what?” Joseph said.

“The entity has been terminated?” It asked.

“Well, yeah, but I finally got Santana to smile!” A shadow cast itself over Joseph.

“You… are a peculiar man, Joseph Joestar.” The voice said.

“I know, right?” Joseph laughed.

\---

Speedwagon sat there quietly, whimpering. He didn’t know how long it was until they would come back, if at all. If gave time to think of his life in that moment. He reflected how close he was to death. Yet Still, he survived. To think, now that this Pillar Man awoke it resulted in the return of the machines? As if he weren’t unluckier than he was now. He did not care if this machine had save the life of Joseph a few times, it meant little to him. He would never trust the terminators.

He heard footsteps approach, they got louder and louder as they stepped further down.

Speedwagon turned to see it was the machine, Speedwagon gasped.

“Stay back! Get the hell away from me!” He screamed.

It was always calm, lifeless, it was always something Speedwagon feared about them. There was never a smell of good, evil, or anything. There were lifeless and at the same time, living beings. Speedwagon could never tell what they were thinking and it terrified him.

“Joseph wanted me to inform you that the entity known as Santana has been successfully terminated.” It said.

“Are you sure? Or are you just telling me that so you could finish me off? Is that why you’re here and not Joseph? Did you kill him?”

“No, as I have said before. I will act accordingly to the best of my capabilities to ensure-“

“Then get Joseph in here and let him free me!” Speedwagon screamed.

“Joseph! Joseph!” He yelled.

“Joseph, who is this Joseph? I don’t know of this Joseph.” Joseph called from the distance.

The T-800 looked on at him in confusion.

“My name is Alex Winston.” He continued as he went down the steps.

Speedwagon sighed, “I’m glad you are as playful as ever Joseph.”

“No really, who is this Joseph? Hah, Just kidding. It’s me.” He said as entered the room.

“I am confused.” The machine stated.

“What?” Joseph asked.

“Why did you deny your identity?” It asked.

“It’s a joke buddy, maybe you should learn what that is because honestly, you’re a completely unbearable robot.” He laughed.

“I am?” It asked, “I suppose I could download information about comedy if from one of your books regarding the subject.”

“Huh? Sorry bud, I speak English, not whatever you’re… talking about.” Joseph asked.

The machine then looked at Joseph like it lost child, it didn’t really know what humor was, did it?

“Are you two just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?” Speedwagon asked.

“No.” Said the machine.

“What?” Joseph and Speedwagon asked simultaneously. The machine approached Speedwagon, it was right in-front of his face.

“We will abandon you here and wait for the Germans to find you.” The machine said sternly. Speedwagon looked petrified.

“What the hell? You’re kidding, right?” Joseph whined as he yelled at the machine.

“That was sarcasm.” Joseph and Speedwagon looked dumbfounded.

“You said that I needed to improve my humor, right?”

Joseph almost looked like he was about to cry, but then he smiled.

“See! It’s not so bad, right?” Joseph said as he laughed. The machine looked at him expressionless. Speedwagon laughed nervously. Joseph’s laughter then filled the room, it got louder and louder as it echoed across the entire test chamber.

“Still, your humor needs some work, bud. You almost scared me for a second.” Joseph said as they freed Speedwagon.

“Although I’d like to say, you’re not so bad after all.” Joseph chuckled.

\---

“Although I’d like to say, you’re not so bad after all.” The colonel said as man screamed in sheer agony as the flesh tore through his body, slowly but surely. He tried freeing himself from the examination table, but the restraints were too strong.

“Please, I beg you Steppenwolf, stop this. It hurts- AHHHH!” The man pleaded.

“C’mon on now, don’t be such a baby. You’re a vampire after all.” The colonel mocked him through the glass paneling.

The man looked up to the ceiling in sheer desperation. The lights expand and shrink as his vision became blurry, all he ever wanted to do in that moment was to die. But even he couldn’t do that.

“Now, let us commence with the next experiment.” Said the Colonel.

Scientists entered the chamber wheeling in a table, it had several syringes containing different substances. The man looked over to the syringes. There were five syringes lined up in a row. One syringe contained a substance that was had a deep forest green hue to it, the one next to it had a deep red-violet color, the one next to it was black inky substance, the next one was almost clear but had odd flakes in it, and the last was an odd greyish-white substance.

“Syringes A through E are ready for injection sir.”

“Begin the injections.” Said the Colonel.

The scientist moved to the subject’s right arm. His left arm currently had an IV in which they force-fed the subject blood since he refused to feed.

The man looked at the surgeons in complete terror. The burning pain caused be the flesh they infused into his skin made his arm throb, and eventually, his entire body throb in sheer pain as his muscles spasmed so violently it felt like his skin was being ripped off. The pain from that flesh had just worn off, and now they want to inject some unknown substance into his body.

“Please, God no, please, please…”

The scientist picked up the first syringe and injected it into his arm. He felt an immediate burning sensation that spread into his entire body. He screamed as if his entire body was set on fire. He squirmed and squealed as the substance made its rounds through his body. He no longer had a pulse, but if he was alive, he would probably be sure he would have died from the severe pain. Hot tears weld in his eyes, how he just wished for the nightmare to be over. How he longed to be back home, how he longed to be back with his friends. After a while the pain numb, he wished he could say he grew used to it, but he didn’t. He turned his eyes to see Steppenwolf looking over him. He was safe behind his iron walls while he was trapped in endless suffering.

\---

**ROME -- ITALY**

The man looked deep into the reflection of the fountain by the moonlit sky. He sat on the fountain and looked around, most of the townspeople were probably sleeping. They didn’t have to worry about being taken away from their homes by the Germans and being forced to become one of their sick toys. In fact, since they shared an alliance, they didn’t have any qualms with him. But he, he was the unfortunate target. It was a night like this where he was unsuspectingly kidnapped by them.

He knew whose fault it was, Steppenwolf. Once he had completed his mission, he would kill Steppenwolf too. Although would that create a paradox of sorts? He would he not exist should he kill Steppenwolf, or since he was already a misplaced traveler in this timeline would it not matter at all? Either way, he was fine with the outcome.

Still, the night is young, and he had work to do. He stood up and leapt away into the darkness, ready to consume anyone or anything that stood in his way.

\---

_This bright and elegant complex is the Speedwagon foundation. This complex was built 28 years ago with founds from the ample Speedwagon fortune. Here all manners of science, medicine, archeology and more are generously funded and exhaustively researched for the benefit of all humankind. But the foundation also houses a darker purpose…_

Speedwagon walked into a highly fortified room with two other doctors, the door opened to reveal the remnants of Santana in cased in a small chamber emanating harsh UV lights.

_… one to unlock the secrets of the stone mask._

“Ze UV lights are very powerful. Please, if you don’t mind.” A short black-haired scientist said as he ushered Speedwagon a mask to cover his face while they tested the remains of Santana. Speedwagon gently put it around his face. He grunted a bit because he still had a sore wound from being flung away by Straits in the caves of Mexico.

“Introduce the snake!” A doctor commanded.

A brown snake emerged from a window into a brightly lit room, it was an Indian Pit Viper. The snake slowly crawled around its chamber until it came across Santana, somehow entranced by it, it bit the stone remnants. The snake then came a part of the stone itself, the scientists gasped in shock.

“It was absorbed into the stone!” Cried a doctor.

“Santana still isn’t dead! His body is defending itself somehow!” Another replied in disbelief.

“What if he finds some way to awaken in there?” The doctor asked.

“This can’t be! We must find a way to destroy him!” One doctor said.

“The monster feeds on masked vampires. He’s immortal for all we know. What are we supposed to do?” Another asked.

“Don’t worry Mr. Speedwagon. He can’t do anything.” One said reassuringly, “As long as he’s under those UV lights, he will remain petrified, and can pose no threat to us.” He said as a metal cover slowly made its way over the chamber, sealing Santana away from the outside world.

“That’s right!” A doctor cheered happily.

“I suppose that’s a relief.” Another commented.

“There is still more research to be done if we have to understand him fully.” Said another.

A projector then lit a black screen with a photo of a carving off a cave wall. It depicted three large figures with differing horns at the top with one with two small horns at the bottom. The doctors gasped in shock.

“See those? Those were taken in the cave we originally found Santana. Inspect them carefully.” Said Speedwagon.

Upon closer look of the horns, they realized each depicted a certain Pillar Man.

“The horns! They all have different typed of horns!” One commented.

“So, if the one on the bottom is supposed to be Santana, then who are the others?” Another asked.

“According to Von Stroheim, the Germans have uncovered another pillar at an undisclosed location somewhere on the European continent.”

“Oh!” One jumped in surprise.

“Is that true?” Another asked.

“Their faces are stacked vertically in this picture.” Speedwagon explained as kept his eyes on the picture, the picture reflecting into his eyes.

“Speaking historically, I would theorize that this indicates status or rank among the three Pillar Men. JoJo and I are heading to Rome. Von Stroheim told him that we must go there in order to find the people who can help us.”

“And it turns out that those people are none other than Will. A Zeppeli, and his grandson, Caesar Zeppeli.” Speedwagon said firmly.


	13. Turing Tendency (Battle Tendency) Truth and Reconciliation: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph and his newfound T-800 pal make off to Rome where he will meet the Zeppelis while the time for the Pillar Men’s awakening approaches. What is unknown to both the Pillar Men and the Zeppelis is a newfound enemy will cross paths with them. This enemy throws off the path for both the Pillar Men and JoJo’s friends as it proceeds to it objective. Regardless, the T-800 will stop this enemy as it approaches its objective and target, whatever that might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the new chapter is out! Editing was a bit faster than I expected. Also, sorry for taking so long. College has kicked into OVERDRIVE and also personal issues are annoying me. I also like to wish Microsoft Word a very pleasant DIE. I also find it kind of ironic the chapter I am having the most problems with is chapter 13. 
> 
> Anyway, the T-800 also has a name now, can't wait to see your reactions!  
> Things seem a little suspicious now, but just wait! More awaits!
> 
> Edit I: HOLY CRAP 18 VIEWS IN ONE DAY? YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME!!!

**ROME - ITALY**

The T-800 sat calmly in its seat next to Joseph as the waiter approached them both. The T-800 turned its head as the waiter approached them. It read through every single menu item, looking for the dish with the highest probability to best satisfy Joseph. It was not one of its main priorities, but it was something that would keep its mind “occupied.” It looked at each dish that the other patrons had ordered carefully, some of them were some variant of Spaghetti or a pasta dish, others were a variant of Fettuccine with clams. It did not really care for organic human resources, but it considered it a little odd how obsessive the humans were with their food. Of course, pastas were a type of fiber that humans needed for their survival. Perhaps it was an evolution of their relative improvements in society, it was in a way, a representation of their overall improvement from their hunter-gatherer to agricultural to “modern” lifestyle. Although, later human generations would consider this current time, “archaic.” It made it ponder about their overall advancements as a species for a short while. 

“ _Saluti, gentili signori_.” Said the waiter, “And how might I serve you today?”

“Excuse me,” Joseph cocked his head, “what did you just say?”

“He said he will be your waiter, Joseph.” It replied. Joseph rolled his eyes. The T-800 simply stared at the menu items, softly tapping its finger as to make it blend in more with the other guests.

“Before we begin with some of our dishes, you would like something to drink, no?” Said the waiter. “What about the _Nerello Mascalese_ , our finest Vino from Sicily, it is one of our most popular wines!”

“Hmm…” Joseph said as he stroked his chin, “Sure I’ll take it.”

“What about you, kind sir?” The waiter asked the T-800.

For a second, it would have declined, but that would likely cause it to be pushed out since it did not eat anything. Even if Speedwagon commanded the staff at the establishment to let him stay, it would appear odd to the other patrons. So, it decided to order something as to make it less suspicious, “Would you have the Chardonnay by any chance?” It asked.

The waiter thought for a moment, “Why yes, we do. May I say that is a fine choice. By the way, is there anything else you would want before I return with your drinks?”

Joseph shrugged while the T-800 simply said, “No.”

“Okay, I will bring that out to you, thank you again, kind sirs.” The waiter bowed his head as he left to the back of the restaurant.

“Wait, why did you order? I though robots like you can’t eat.” Said Joseph.

“I can.” It said, “I just do not need to in order to maintain daily functions. It is more so to blend in as another patron then to maintain fuel sources.”

“I also have to remind you that I am not a robot, I am a cybernetic organism. Flesh over metal endoskeleton.”

Joseph looked at the T-800 sideways, “Okaaaaaay……” He said.

“Well then, then what’s on the menu?” Joseph asked as he flipped through the menu items.

“There are a few menu items that the patrons here seem to enjoy, such as the Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole.” The machine said as it scrolled through the dishes that it observed others enjoying. “There is also the Tomato Risotto, the Pasta All’Amatriciana, the Cacio e Pepe, and the Pasta alla Gricia.”

“Hmmmm…..” Joseph thought, “You know what? How about I choose something for myself, I don’t need a _machine_ to tell me what I can and cannot eat. You’re not my mother the last time I was aware.” Joseph said as he scrolled through every item with his eyes until he found the one that caught his attention.

“How about this… Al Nee-roh, Al Nero- De – Dis sepp- Di-“

“Do you mean the Al Nero Di Seppia?” It asked.

“That one.” Joseph said.

“Alright, if that is what you desire.” It said as it scrolled through the menu.

“Excuse me.” Joseph said sternly, “Was that backtalk I just heard?”

“Go with whatever dish that best satisfies you,” It said with no hint of emotion, “After all, I’m not your mother.”

Joseph rolled his eyes, “Unbelievable.” He muttered to himself.

The waiter returned shortly after.

“Greetings again, kind sirs,” The waiter said with a smile as another waiter brought the wines bottles in a large dish tray accompanied by a wine glass. The other waiter set down each glass by each patron and filled the glasses with the appropriate wine.

“I have the Chardonnay for you, and the _Nerello Mascalese_ for this fine gentleman. Now, which entrée would like?” The man asked with a smile.

“Entrée? No, we’re not going to be staying for long so we would like the main dishes.” Joseph said bluntly.

“Oh, then what would you prefer?” The waiter asked.

“I’ll have this Al Ne- Al Nero Di Surpy-“

“Oh, you mean the Al Nero Di Seppia?” The waiter asked. “What would you like good sir?”

“I will take the Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole, if you would be so kind.” It said.

“Oh really? That is one of our most popular items.” The waiter said quite chipperly.

“May I say have you been around here for a while? Your accent says to me that you’re Austrian or German, but your Italian is quite fluent.” The waiter asked.

“I have been living in Rome for the past four years. I am simply having lunch with an old friend. He is from England and does not understand the language quite well.” Joseph looked at it a bit stunned as to why the machine said what it did. The waiter on the other hand seemed slightly intrigued.

“Ah, well, good to hear. Rome is such a fine city. Anyway, I will be on the way with your dishes.” The waiter said as he took their menus and walked away into the depths of the kitchen.

“What the hell was that?” Joseph asked.

“What?” It asked.

 _“I’m simply having lunch with an old friend. He does not understand the language quite well.”_ Joseph mockingly repeated what it said to the waiter.

“I do not understand you unwarranted anger.” It said simply.

“I do not understand the language quite well? Are you trying to treat me like an idiot? Are you saying that I-” Joseph asked.

“Do you wish for me to tell the waiter that I am a cyborg with flesh over metal endoskeleton sent from the future to protect you? I could give him a demonstration if you-“

“No, no, no, I get the picture.” Joseph said as he waved his hand in dismissal.

“Just do whatever it is you do, but don’t make me look like an idiot while you do it, okay?” Joseph asked.

“Alright.” It said blankly.

The rest of that time the two sat there in awkward silence.

- _\--_

The waiter eventually came back with their food.

“Alright, Al Nero Di Seppia for you and Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole for you fine gentleman.” The waiter said as he placed both dishes in front of the two.

Joseph then looked angerly at the waiter. The waiter, not noticing, attempted to walk away before being accosted by Joseph.

“What the hell is this supposed to be?” He asked angerly as he held the waiter by the collar.

“Joseph, please do not cause a scene.” The machine emptily begged as it nonchalantly took a sip from the wine but knew Joseph would mindlessly accost the waiter anyway.

It looked at the wine blankly, the wine tasted a bit odd to it, but it did not care. It was not poisoned. It just did not appreciate the taste. It still did not understand the humans’ obsessions over these types of foods, was there perhaps a psychological satisfaction to attending restaurants such as this?

“Shut up!” Joseph commanded as he pointed to it.

“You think you’re funny putting black ink all over my spaghetti, is that right?”

“There is supposed to be ink on the Spaghetti, Joseph.” it said as it stared deep into its reflection on the glass. 

“The chefs put squid ink on the noodles which gives it a distinct black color.” It said calmly.

“I thought you would have known this.” It said.

“Why yes, what he says is true!” The waiter said wearily, afraid that the muscular young man before him might pound him into the dirt.

“Really?” Joseph asked.

“It’s quite delicious!” The waiter yelled. Joseph spun some of the spaghetti around his fork before reeling in for a bite. He chewed it slowly before looking at the dish. Joseph looked at the dish in shock.

“Say, this is delicious!” Joseph said as he engorged himself on the Black Ink Spaghetti.

Joseph released the waiter as he wearily bowed before moving to another table. Before he left the T-800 stopped him, “I apologize for my friend, he can get quite excited sometimes.”

“Oh, that’s a fine, sir! I completely understand!” The waiter said before walking away like he was in a hurry. It was almost as if the waiter was attempting to get away from them.

\---

Caesar looked at the Englishman in complete disgust, he looked like he was from a high-end family but his manners were quite poor. How could that man attack a waiter for simply trying to do his job. Caesar would have slapped the man but that would make him no different from him. This was the Joseph Joestar his grandfather wanted him to meet so badly? Caesar wanted to roll his eyes, he expected more from the Englishman. From the story of him and his “friend” defeating Santana had intrigued him. Caesar expected Joseph to be quite, soft-spoken man, like the “friend” that he tagged along with him. At least his “friend” had more class to him for apologizing to the waiter. He was surprised the manager of the establishment did not kick him out on the spot for his rude behavior. Now he just wanted to put his hand to his head in shame for him. He turned back to the girl he saw before him, a beauty as he would say.

“This hotel used to be place of class and refinement. Now they just let anyone in here.”

The Englishman cocked his head. Caesar grinned in his mind. He wanted the sorry bastard to hear him.

“Signorina, accept this, a token of your beauty.” Caesar said as he held out a silver necklace with a red ruby imbedded within it. The gemstone sparkled in the woman’s eyes. The woman gasped in delight.

“It’s beautiful!” She remarked.

“Not as much as you.” He said as he put his wind glass over her face. He wanted the girl to stare deep into her reflection, he wanted her to smile. She was already a precious gemstone.

“When you remove this at night, please think of me, and we shall be together in your dreams.” He said.

\---

“Oh man!” Joseph cried out in disgust at the Italian over at the next table. Not only has the egocentric Italian belittled him, but he was also trying to womanize right in front of his face. To Joseph it was pure disgust at the Italians over bloated pride.

“Did that mozzarella cheeseball say what I think he said.” Joseph asked in disgust.

The T-800 looked at Joseph and the Italian blankly, it could care less about their petty human drama. Another thing it did not understand about humans was their unwarranted eccentricity when on important missions as it got in the way of accomplishing those missions.

“I didn’t know eavesdropping could rot your teeth.” Joseph said as he looked at his teeth in the reflection of the wine glass as he did not realize the blackness around his teeth was caused by the squid ink.

\---

“I’ll cast an enchantment. Just a little love spell, then you will have no choice but to fall to my passion.” Caesar said as he kissed the necklace, in a sense, giving it his blessing.

“Gah! You’ve got to be kidding this guy is making me sick!” Joseph said in disgust.

Caesar eyed Joseph carefully as he cast his eyes back on the woman.

“And I shall spread my charm’s magic, to those delicious lips of yours.” He said as he reeled in to kiss the woman before him.

“That’s just ridiculous! How could any woman fall for such an obvious act? Disgusting!” Joseph snapped back as he watched Caesar’s enchantment unfold.

“I have an idea.” Joseph said as he twirled a bit of the black spaghetti into his fork. He took a deep breath before sparks of energy flew into the fork, causing the three spaghetti noodles to stiffen like a board.

Caesar wanted to laugh. Did Joseph really think that he could use hamon against him? He could practically watch his every move, there was no reason for Joseph to even try.

“Hamon di Seppia.” Joseph said as he used the fork as a catapult.

“This should stick to that little Casanova’s enchanting face for a bit.” He said as flicked the spaghetti towards the Italian.

As the noodles approached him, Caesar caught them with his fork, using the noodles from his own meal to slow down their speed. He then twirled the fork causing the noodles to get redirected towards Joseph. Joseph looked at bit surprised as to how the Italian even caught the spaghetti let alone redirected it back to him. Joseph caught the noodles with his wine glass as he saw a familiar spark of energy flow through it.

“How did he just do that?” Joseph asked as he slurped the spaghetti noodles from the glass, causing wine to spill onto the floor from the holes created by the noodles.

“That—That was hamon, yes I’m sure of it.”

Caesar looked at him in disgust, what was it about Joseph that made his grandfather give that dirty mongrel of an Englishman more attention than his own grandson?

“Pardon the intrusion.” the waiter said as he approached Caesar who was currently engaged in romantic affairs with a woman. “But there is a phone call from a Mr. Speedwagon, Mr. Zeppeli.”

“Mamma Mia. I will be right there.” He said.

“What—What the—” Joseph said in shock as his words stumbled.

“That spaghetti brained womanizer is the Caesar Zeppeli we came all the here to find?”

Caesar flipped that hat in his hand onto his head, it was a similar hat his grandfather wore.

Caesar smiled, “Yes I am.” He thought.

“For such a nice grandfather how did his grandson turn into such a jackass?” Joseph thought.

\---

“So if Zeppeli’s grandson is here, then where is the location of Will A Zeppeli?” The machine asked.

“Baron Zeppeli is waiting for us back at the hotel, but there is something Caesar must tell us first.” Speedwagon said.

“Also, don’t get too close to me.” Speedwagon commented.

The machine sat down at the fountain, it felt the vibrations of the birds, the people chattering, and the pigeons trilling below its feet. It stared at the sky, practically dead at the sun. It was high noon, in seven hours and thirty-eight minutes the pillar men will awaken. It concluded that from what Speedwagon had told him.

“Tell me, where might you be from?” Caesar asked a nearby by woman in hat.

“Would you like me to take a picture? Perhaps one of you in the fountain?”

Joseph cooed, imitating the birds it managed to gather.

“Boy the birds in this country sure are friendly. They seem much smarter then the men here, too. Don’t cha think?” Joseph said as he snapped at Caesar, causing the birds on his head to fly to the ground.

“Hmpf.” Caesar replied.

“Huh, knock it off, JoJo! You too Caesar! We didn’t come all this way for nothing! The two of you better start talking. Think for a moment Caesar, would your grandfather be happy with your current behavior?”

“Mr. Speedwagon, with all due respect, do not talk to me about my grandfather.” Caesar said as he stood up.

“I’d hate to say it, but he is nothing but a bumbling fool these days. My father died tragically in the search for the mask in his stead. Although we Italians have the strongest familial bonds of any culture in the world, you can’t trust him with what he says anymore. All he talks about anymore is about theses “terminators” and how they want to bring in the end of the world, he never focuses on stopping the Pillar Men, or hunting the mask. At the very least, I can say that I know my family. That is something he’ll never understand. In fact, you told me he didn’t know about his own grandfather until just recently. A true man knows his history!”

“Tell me this, true-man, is your whole family this du-“

“That’s not true!” Speedwagon said as he cut off Joseph.

“That’s not fair Caesar! JoJo didn’t know anything because I kept it all a secret from him, even the terminators.”

Caesar sighed, “I don’t think that’s any excuse.” He said as he pointed to Speedwagon.

“I heard about Straits, and I was impressed to find out that he fought one of the Pillar Men. But I wanted to see for myself how tough he was, so I waited at the hotel. And I’m disappointed to say, his hamon skills leave much to be desired.”

Joseph gnashed his teeth together as he clenched his fist, who does this Italian think he is for insulting Joseph this way?

“His hamon is weak, its worthless!” He cried.

“His defeat of the Pillar Men was nothing but blind luck! In fact, if it wasn’t for his friend here, I don't think he would have never defeated Santana at all!”

“I won’t be forced to work with this imbecile!” Caesar yelled.

“Caesar! Just relax for a moment, JoJo is still training with—”

Joseph chuckled maliciously, “We’re done with the niceties here!” He said as he cracked his knuckles in anger.

“I’m going to have to settle this with a good thrashing!” Joseph said.

“Hamon as weak as yours…” Caesar said as he grabbed the woman, “couldn’t even pluck the petals off this delicate flower.” Caesar said as looked deeply into the woman’s eyes.

“Oh yeah, well you couldn’t even beat one of those pigeons!” Joseph said as he pointed to a pigeon.

Caesar reeled in to kiss the woman. Joseph responded in shock and disgust. Joseph looked around for a moment in confusion before asking in anger, “Are you gonna fight me or not?”

“If there’s any mocking to be done here, I’ll take care of it, thank you kindly.” Joseph said as he rushed towards Caesar to zoom punch until the woman grabbed him by the throat.

“You bastard! You gave this woman a hamon kiss!” He screamed as he grabbed the woman’s arms.

“Like I just said.” Caesar explained as he stared down at him like a child, “your weak hamon couldn’t even beat a woman. Sad.”

“Mr. Speedwagon should I interfere on Joseph’s behalf?” The machine asked.

Speedwagon turned to the machine and snapped, “Don’t you even dare try anything! This will be a good lesson for JoJo. Overcoming this will only make him stronger. I don’t think he needs you to help him or do anything at all! In fact, your kind is the reason why we are all in this mess in the first place!”

“Understood.” It said blankly.

The woman released Joseph before giving Joseph a hard right hook before throwing Joseph into the fountain where he made a loud splash. The machine walked away just in time, only getting slightly soaked in the process.

“Huh, what did I tell you?” Caesar said vainly.

“I can’t believe my grandfather trained you as a child with Hamon as weak as yours, I don’t know what he sees in you, absolutely pathetic. My father might still be alive if he didn’t choose you over his own grandson.” He said.

“I refuse to accept your kind! Your pathetic blood!” Caesar yelled.

“That’s enough. You’ve crossed the line now—”

“Stop!” Joseph said as he stood back up. “I’ve got this!”

“Someone as arrogant as you, just couldn’t resist insulting your grandfather, could you? I don’t know what I ever did to you personally, but I think you got some issues with jealousy pal. Call me all the names you want but you just crossed the line for insulting Sir. Zeppeli.”

“Hmmpf.” Caesar grunted as he launched himself into the air.

“Like to see my maneuver sure to eliminate the Pillar Men? It’s a clean technique.” He said as he clapped his hands before a ray of bubbles emanating from his body.

“Behold! My Hamon bubble launcher! It’s important to keep yourself clean. I, myself, have a thin layer of soap on my clothes at all times!” Caesar yelled.

“You’re looking a little dirty yourself there, Joestar!” Caesar yelled as he launched his bubbles towards Joseph which struck him upside the face. The bubbles flew Joseph into the air before encapsulating him in a bubble. He tried to pop it, as his hamon scattered across the bubble but the bubble barrier was far stronger than his hamon.

“Well, I am impressed that you’re still conscious. But you’re weak little hamon couldn’t even pop a bubble.” Caesar sneered at Joseph.

“Just look at you. Your breath is already all over the place. Enjoy your stay, Joestar.”

“And next you’ll say, ‘Now, I’ll lift my hamon spell, Signorina, thank-you.’”

“Now I’ll lift my hamon spell, Signorina, thank-you.” Caesar said as he was about to kiss the woman. He was about to kiss her before seeing sparks fly out of her mouth. Caesar’s eyes opened in shock, before a large white bird flew into his mouth. Caesar gasped and tried to breath before falling over on Joseph, popping the bubble.

Both men gasped for air after the pigeon flew away.

“While that woman was throttling me, I filled a pigeon with as much hamon as I could and hid it away in her mouth.” Joseph looked at Caesar intensely.

“I knew you’d kiss her, either because you had to withdraw your Hamon or just to show off. So I was right. Turns out that you couldn’t even beat a pigeon.” Caesar turned way with his legs crossed as Joseph laughed at him.

“What a day.” Speedwagon sighed.

Joseph laughed louder, causing Caesar to only grow angrier.

\---

The man whimpered with his arms on his head as he was held himself inside the dark room. Thick titanium chains wrapped themselves around his wrist and neck as they came from the wall. He hated crying, but he just wanted to go home. He felt like an animal ensnared by the Germans, locked into a small room, and chained to a wall. To them, he was no more than a dog on a leash that they felt free to experiment with. He felt two small stubs form at the top of his head, they were hard, and felt like bone. He was picking at it for the past three hours, bits of rock fell from his head and onto his lap. Blood pooled from his head and onto his knees.

He couldn’t feel heat anymore, but he wished they would at least give him some clothing. He wanted to have at least some dignity, but that would be asking too much from the Germans. For all he knew they could care less about whether he did or didn’t have clothes. He brushed his head with his hair, bright red mixed with his natural black hair. The man covered his face and wept again. Why did the Nazis pick him for their disturbed experiments? What did he do to them? Of course, that is a question many ask who are unjustifiably slaughtered by these horrendous monsters.

Still, that is no excuse for their crimes. The man promised himself after looking at Steppenwolf for that first time, he would send that bastard to hell. Steppenwolf, he was the cause behind all his suffering. 

He remembered some of the things he’s done to test his “immortal body.” The beatings, the electrocutions, the dismemberment, the shootings. He shuddered at the thought.

He remembered, after they made him a vampire, they wanted to test his “capabilities,” his strength. He remembered waking up one day not being able to feel his own body, he was wrapped in bandages, and it was like he was stuck to the ceiling.

He saw Steppenwolf with a crowd of men with him, holding a rifle to their side. It was like they were in a shooting range of some sort. He did not understand what they were doing at first, that was until he saw something behind them, on a bed. It was his body, but how was that possible?

He then said, “Schießen.” The soldiers then fired directly at him. He tried to scream, but they were muffled under the bandages. He didn’t fully understand vampiric powers, so he could not break free just then. He laughed, he watched him laugh. He said he was impressed by his ability to regenerate.

That is when they released him, he then awoke in dissection table with his head reattached.

He thought it was a nightmare at first, but his neck felt raw and delicate to the touch. Steppenwolf again said he was impressed. Impressed by his resilience, but he didn’t have a choice. He said that he was “perfect” for his next experiment. It was that flesh. He knew whom that sample of flesh belonged to, and what they wanted to do with him.

Steppenwolf said he was going to be an immortal soldier for the Wehrmacht. A soldier that they could control at any given moment. The man hugged himself tighter in the room. It was only time until they would come back to torture him again. He didn’t want this, he never did. He needed to escape, somehow, but how? Even if he did have the strength to remove himself from the chains, the safeguarded his chamber with UV lights. Lights that would activate immediately if he ever tried anything.

No, he was going to break free somehow, anyhow. He felt the stumps on his head, they have only grown larger. He then receded, no, there was no escape. He didn’t have the willpower anymore. He was truly scared. He had to do this to protect his family. He knew what they would do if he ever tried to escape. It wasn’t fair, he did not deserve this.

He cried louder at the thought. He missed being home, eating different foods, spending time with his young children. He missed them dearly. He missed the time when they went out to dinner to eat. He missed the Italian restaurant that he went to, there was one dish they used to serve. He tried to remember its name.

“What was it called?” He thought to himself.

He forgot the name, but he remembered what it looked like. It was fine spaghetti covered in Black squid ink, it had a fine savory taste, the perfect texture. He just wanted to eat real food again. He took a piece of his blackened hair and chewed on it. Hoping for some reprieve, hoping for some remembrance of when he wasn’t trapped inside this hell.

\---

The man looked over the desecrated corpse of the soldier in front of him. He had dirty-blonde hair and silver eyes. He changed his form to match his look.

“That was disappointingly easy.” He thought.

As of now, the men oversaw the safeguarding of the “Pillar Men” from reawakening. He wanted to laugh, as if they could ever stop them. Their rise to power was inevitable, he just needed time. Time to quickly scour among them and find which one of them was Steppenwolf. He overheard he was interested in them. If not, he supposed he could just wait until the Pillar Men desecrated the Germans. How he enjoyed their suffering, as these bastards were the reason for his inhumanity.

Perhaps, he could join them, or not. It will just depend on how they will respond to him, if he can even be considered as one of them.

\---

The group reentered the hotel and were just about to approach their room. Speedwagon walked to the door and hesitantly knocked. There was silence for a mere moment, until it opened, ever so slightly. Ever so hesitantly, until a tiny sliver of a face could be seen.

“Is this Mr. Speedwagon.” Said the man.

“Yes?” Speedwagon replied.

The man slowly opened the door, revealing the inside of a well decorated room with beautiful wooden chairs and tables, across the room on a couch was another man in a long coat engaged in a newspaper. Slightly wrinkled hands held the newspaper tightly. The newspaper covered his face, but it did put greater emphasis on a familiar hat. The hat of Will A. Zeppeli.

“Greetings Grandfather.” Caesar said politely.

There was a longer silence.

“Don’t be shy gentleman, come in.” Said the old man. The four entered the room but Speedwagon stopped on of them with his cane. He wore circular sunglasses and a vest.

“It would be best if you stayed outside.” Said Speedwagon.

The man was about to walk away but the old man stopped him. “Don’t be such a glum Speedwagon, everyone is welcome here.” Speedwagon grunted in annoyance. Speedwagon looked back at the man.

“Alright.” Speedwagon said as he whispered into the man’s ear. “You can come in, but you better not say anything. Poor Zeppeli has gone through enough already because of your kind.”

Speedwagon then introduced the other two in the room.

“What you see in front of you Zeppeli is a grown Joseph Joestar, and he-“ Speedwagon looked to the man.

“Is one of Joseph’s bodyguards. I hired him to protect Joseph.”

The old man thought it was strange at first as to why Joseph needed a bodyguard, but the introduced himself to Joseph anyway.

“Oh, greetings Joseph, you have grown into such a fine young man, you would make your grandfather proud.” Zeppeli said as he slowly stood up to greet Joseph. Joseph responded in a fake cheerfulness. Caesar rolled his eyes and looked away in annoyance.

“And it’s nice to see you again, uh, Mr. Zeppeli.” He said as he shook his hand.

“Oh, Joseph did you forget? Mr. Zeppeli was my father. Not to worry, it has been such a long time since we last met. Please refer to me as Baron.”

“Oh… Alright then, Baron.” He said.

Baron has changed since the battle of fifty years ago. He still looked relatively the same, although much older than he was when he was with Jonathan. Despite his hamon training, his face was severely wrinkled, and his once brown hair has receded away to a steel grey. He still looked relatively younger than what most would expect of a one-hundred-year-old man. Upon first glance, one would say he was around the same age as Speedwagon but would be surprised to learn that he was indeed one-hundred-years-old.

After the great battle of fifty years ago the man took great care of traveling across the world, talking to the aristocrats and rulers of Europe to carefully monitor their advancements in science and technology. Dear the Great War that nearly devastated Europe, he helped the Allied Powers map out routes and paths across the continent to track and prevent the Central powers from advancing. Although, there were somethings that Speedwagon didn’t even know about regarding the Baron. 

\--- 

The four gathered around the table as they waited, what they’re waiting on was all up to the Baron’s grandson, Caesar. Caesar walked to his chair before leaping into the air and sitting gracefully within in. It was beautiful in a strange sort of way. It was like watching a trained acrobat fly around a pole.

“Honestly, just who does this jerk think he is? Grandstanding like that just to sit down a chair. I really can’t stand people like him.” Joseph thought.

Caesar took a sip of his teacup, Joseph looked at him in disgust.

“If I only had a technique like his bubble launcher, I’d be able to teach him some humility then.” He thought to himself.

“I have to get stronger with my Hamon…” He thought, strengthening his determination.

Joseph then receded, holding the cards in his hand, “… but training is always such a hassle.”

The machine stood from across the room, eyeing the group carefully. Although it was incapable of expressing emotion, one could not help but see a small look of worry fall over it.

Speedwagon looked at it in anger, he wanted to say something, but the Baron asked a question, causing him to divert his attention.

“Why is that gentleman standing over there? Why can’t he take a seat with us?” The Baron asked.

“Uh, no need.” Speedwagon waved his hand. “He is a very, serious man. He has been carefully trained in all forms of martial arts. Nothing unusual.”

“When you refer to martial arts, would that include Hamon?” Zeppeli asked.

“Uh… no, but I -uh figured Joseph needed someone to watch his back.” Speedwagon said.

“Hmm.” Baron said as he eyed the man carefully.

“Maybe that’s because Joseph is too much of a bumbling oaf and he needs to be coddled like a small child.” Caesar thought.

Joseph sighed before shuffling a deck of cards, he then slid two cards in Caesar’s direction.

“I saw that JoJo.” Caesar said as he pointed to the cards with great emphasis. “Deal the cards right, only cowards cheat.”

“You saw that too, right grandfather?” Caesar asked his grandfather.

“Huh, whatever do you—” Caesar grabbed Joseph’s hand.

“Deal the cards properly, Joestar, or play elsewhere.” He said.

Cards then fell from Joseph’s sleeve.

Baron looked into the depths of his reflection in the tea-cup. He would have been angry with Joseph, but a man his age has no need for that. In fact, he remembered a time where he was foolishly arrogant like Joseph, perhaps he should simply watch.

Speedwagon sweat nervously in the awkwardness of the tense situation and with intense shame. He was the one who taught Joseph these backhanded tricks, he was also surprised that the Baron would be as calm as he is. He would have expected him to act in anger and disappointment, but he simply watched the chaos.

“Well, that didn’t work.” Joseph chuckled as he stuck out his tongue.

Caesar reeled back into his chair in a smug calmness. “Hmph, Pathetic. You should be ashamed that you have to resort to cheating and gimmicks to beat me. After all, my gra--”

“You really are serious about cleanliness. This mirror is spotless!” Joseph said as he lifted Caesars shoe to reveal a small rectangular mirror. Baron was a bit surprised as his eyes widened slightly. He then resisted the urge to laugh, their antics reminded him of the games he used to play with other sailors when he went on excavation trips with his father. Although, he was slightly disappointed to realize that his grandson was also a cheater.

“Stop provoking me, Joestar!” Caesar yelled.

“Oh, I haven’t even started!” Joseph yelled back.

“Calm down!” Speedwagon yelled. “It has been eight hours, Caesar, do you mind telling us what we’re waiting for?” 

“Speedwagon is right Caesar,” The Baron saidcausing Speedwagon turn towards him in response, “…what are we waiting for?”

A car engine roared as it zoomed down the street. Caesar stood up with excitement, “Here’s your answer!” He said.

A car drove up to their room, it was directly below them. The five watched them from above. In the driver’s seat was a soldier, with a hat that resembled that of the German forces. Zeppeli looked at Caesar in surprise.

“Caesar, don’t tell that this was how you managed to acquire knowledge about the Pillar Men.” The Baron said wearily.

“Yeah, what is a German soldier doing here?” Joseph asked.

The driver then lifted his head, revealing his face. “It looks like we’re clear.” Said Caesar.

“Caesar, you did side with them?” The Baron asked.

“We have been over this for a thousand times grandfather, you said we had to do what we thought was best to stop them! I am doing just that!”

“Yes, but to you realize what their creations might result in? I do agree that we need to stop the Pillar Men, but I do not see why you had to resort to siding with them.”

“Again, we talked about this grandfather, the Pillar Men might be close to awakening soon and this is our chance to stop them! Not everyone we meet is going to result in the creation of the terminators!”

“But do realize what you’re doing by doing favors for them?” The Baron asked.

“Aw c’mon grandfather, get a grip! Realize for just a moment that the Pillar Men are the greatest threat! Not these terminators you're obsessed with! I mean we have no problems with-“ Caesar was about to gesture towards Joseph’s “bodyguard.”

“AHEM.” Speedwagon coughed loudly as he eyed Caesar carefully.

“Well, what?” The Baron asked.

Caesar looked around nervously, “Uh, it’s nothing.” He said.

“No, tell me.” Said the Baron.

“Look, Zeppeli, understand that-“ Speedwagon tried to explain before he was interrupted.

“Speedwagon, is there something you’re not telling me?” The Baron asked sternly.

“What, of course not Baron, I- I would never!” Speedwagon said nervous laughter.

“Hmm, really? To me is sounds like you’re lying, Speedwagon.” The Baron said.

“No seriously, it’s nothing!” Speedwagon said.

The driver below honked it’s horn loudly, “Caesar!” A voice called, “Are you coming?”

“Yes! We’ll be down soon! Don’t worry Mark!” He yelled in response.

The Baron sighed, “Alright. Go ahead, but I will make this clear Caesar. Make sure you know who you are siding with.” He said.

“Again, with the Germans!?!!” Joseph yelled.

\---

Somewhere, locked away in stone were three gods in their slumber, as they slept a hole opened in the middle God’s head, the Pillar men were soon to awaken.

\---

The five went outside the car, Caesar was the first to get inside right next to the driver. Joseph reluctantly got in the back seat. The machine was about to step inside when Speedwagon yelled, “Uh, I think I’ll stay behind.”

“Why?” Caesar asked.

“If it’s too much of a trouble riding with your fellow mates Speedwagon, then I can get my servant Maroon to follow behind as there’s not enough room anyway. I don’t understand why you’re always so pedantic.” The Baron said.

Speedwagon sighed, “Fine then. I will ride with you Baron.”

Caesar looked at his friend as he overheard their conversation, “Are you sure they can follow us?” Caesar asked. 

The friend shrugged, “I do not see the problem, if they’re with you then that is okay.”

“Besides, your grandfather also knows hamon right? Then it will be easier for us as they can talk to your grandfather as well as he went through the battle of fifty years ago. We could use his knowledge. So, it’s a win-win situation.” 

Caesar chuckled and punched his arm gently, “You are a great friend, Mark.”

Joseph rolled his eyes and rested his head.

“Alright, then we are off.” Said Mark.

\---

“Germany and Italy have an alliance,” Caesar explained, “And the Germans are interested in researching the nuances of my Hamon, see?”

“An Englishman such as yourself should be lucky that you are being granted access to view the Pillar Men.” He said. 

Joseph looked at him, disgruntled with his arrogance and pride.

“No need to thank me, your appreciation is written on your face, JoJo.” Caesar laughed as he rubbed his head.

“It will be easier for all of us now that both Speedwagon and your grandfather are coming with us, Caesar. I hope that we can all work together to stop the Pillar Men before they awake. My commanders told me about the machine as well, I hope that he can help too.” Mark said.

Caesar grabbed a charm necklace around his friend’s neck and opened it, revealing a picture of a woman inside.

“How’s the beauty?” Caesar said in admiration.

“Huh?” Mark asked.

“Now don’t be embarrassed you have a girlfriend back home.” He said.

“Well…” His friend put a hand to his head.

“She’s—ah, actually, the truth is that I’ll be going home next week so we can finally get married.” He said as he put his hand over his cap to hide his blush of excitement and joy.

“Really?” Caesar chirped in excitement, “Mamma Mia! Congratulations, Mark!” Caesar said as he grabbed his friend, causing the car to swerve and flail violently. This caused the car behind him to stop.

“I was his wingman when he picked her up, you know. He was so nervous.” Caesar bragged.

Maroon looked at the car in front of him in shock as it crashed against another car, practically crushing it as it swerved.

“Just what the hell are those boys doing?” Baron asked.

Speedwagon’s face went pale and he began to shake, he worried that the machine finally went rogue and decided to slaughter everyone in the vehicle. He imagined a horrifying scenario where he imagined that machine choking the life out of the driver. He tipped his hat and looked down, he didn’t want to even think of that possibility.

Meanwhile, Joseph held onto the front seat for dear life as the car danced across the street. The machine instinctively protected Joseph with its arm.

“Heartwarming. Please don’t get all of us killed here. And please stop cuddling with the wheel if you don’t mind!” Joseph yelled as the car finally stopped. 

“And you! Don’t touch me like that!” Joseph snapped at the machine who put his arm down.

The car behind them honked it’s horn violently before the front window rolled down before Maroon popped out of the seat.

“IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT OVER THERE?” Maroon asked.

Mark popped out of the driver’s seat with an affirmative yes. Marron shrugged and returned to his seat. The two cars began to drive once more.

“I wanted to ask you, JoJo.” Caesar asked smugly.

“Do you have a girlfriend back home?” He asked. 

Joseph grunted in response. “I’ll take that as a no. But you’re such a great catch. Why doesn’t anyone want to date you?” Caesar said mockingly.

“Perhaps they’re all to busy washing their hair, eh?” He chuckled.

“Or Perhaps you’re already taken by this charming man over here.” Caesar pointed to the machine before erupting into a loud cackle. Joseph growled in anger.

“Really, this again? Get this fact straight you Italian brute. I’M NOT INTO THAT!” He yelled.

“Oh, sure Joestar, sure.” Caesar replied.

“I do have to ask Caesar Zeppeli, are you single as well? I’m simply curious.” The machine asked, causing Caesar’s entire face to become red. Joseph pointed back at Caesar and laughed.

“HA!” He yelled.

“You stay out of this!” Caesar hissed at the machine.

“No, stay into this, in fact, I order you too! Uh, wait- I just realized I never gave you a name, did I?” Joseph asked.

“Don’t tell me Joestar. You have probably been spending the past month with him and you never bothered to give him a name? Aren’t you nice, JoJo.” Caesar said sternly.

“Aw C’mon! I was under attack most of that time, give me a break! I didn’t have time!” 

The machine simply stared ahead. “I am simply your guardian. I do not care for your human names. Call me what you will.” It said blankly.

“Shut up! I got this, hey, there is a singer I have been thinking about recently. He is becoming quite popular in the states, in fact. What was his name?” Joseph pondered.

“JoJo what are you talking about?” Caesar asked sternly.

“I think is name was Franz Simon, no. French Simmons, definitely not.”

“Wait, are you talking about Frank Sinatra?” Caesar asked. “I think I’ve heard of him from my American friends.” 

“Yeah, that’s it! Frank Sinatra!” Joseph exclaimed, “As of today, I shall christen you, Frank.”

“Really Joestar, you’re going to name him, Frank?” Caesar said. “As I expect from a low man such as yourself. You are as good in your names as you are in your Hamon, pathetic.” He laughed. Joseph growled in annoyance.

Caesar hummed for a moment, “If I were you, I would give him a name that better suits his nature. Let’s see, there is a musician quite popular here in Italy, Alberto Rabagliati, he is a fine actor and an amazing singer. There’s also that radio host known as Nunzio Filagamo. There’s even Pippo Barzizza, who is also becoming quite popular. Oh, I know, Giacomo Puccini, that’s it! He was a well-respected opera composer and demonstrated the finest of what Italy has to offer, he even looks like a Giacomo, his name should be Giacomo.”

“What, Giacomo? These names are all insane. I am not going to call him Alberto, or Nunzio, and I’m definitely not going to call him _Pippo_. His name is Frank, damn it!”

Mark looked behind him, “May I give a suggestion, Caesar?” He asked.

“Sure, go ahead Mark.” Said Caesar.

“Name him Arnold.” Mark said.

“Arnold? Interesting. Why?” Caesar asked.

“I do not know. He just seems like he would like the name more.” He said.

“Ugh, no! His name is not Arnold, not Jesus Como—”

“It’s Giacomo, you degenerate!” Caesar yelled back.

“Whatever, his name is Frank and that’s final! He’s my ‘guardian’ after all.” Joseph snapped.

“Fine then, I just hope your more creative in you Hamon than you are in your names, Joestar. Otherwise, we might have a problem with hamon as weak as yours.” He cackled once more.

“Where does this pompous ass get off talking to me like that? Once I develop my own killer technique, I’ll show him a thing or two, or three, or four.” Joseph thought.

\---

“Look! There’s something on his head!”

“I don’t think that was there before!”

More soldier rushed over to where the Pillar Men slumbered, actively shining UV lights over the stone where they were entombed. The man watched from afar, as if they would even be able to stop them. They were knocking on death’s door and they were knocking fast. Some soldiers grew hesitant and worried. The simply stood there, annoyed by the fact that none of them were the Steppenwolf he was looking for.

“Calm down.” Said their superior.

“They’re just rocks as long as they’re under those UV lights.” He said, little did he know that would do nothing to ease their nerves. Little did they all know that they were going to die, and soon.

The man experienced the awakening of the Pillar Men before, but never this close.

“No need to worry! Get a closer look!” Said the Superior.

“Yes sir!” A soldier cried back.

“You’re all fools, get out of here and run.” The man thought, but he knew the humans were too stupid to even try.

He knew what the superior would think, “The death of Von Stroheim’s team is an important lesson to us all. Once we cut this pillar out, we’ll have to seal it, so that it will never see the light of day again.” What fools, their actions would be in vain.

As one soldier approached the Pillar Man resting in the middle, he began to take note of what he saw as he got closer.

“I can’t tell what that dark spot is. It looks like a hole, but it might just be a shadow.” The soldier crept ever close, looking directly into the hole as another soldier encouraged him.

“And five… four… three… two… ” The man thought to himself before a large horn protruded from the statue and pierced the soldier, killing him instantly as he was hanging from the horn.

“His horn!” The other soldiers gasped.

“He’s supposed to be petrified!” Cried the superior.

The Pillar Man opened his eyes.

“Quickly, bring out more UV lamps! Now!” The Nazi officer screamed as more soldiers ran to get more UV lights.

The Pillar Man simply shrugged as the horn spun, slicing the men so that their blood covered the Ultraviolet lights, preventing the light from shining through.

“This can’t be happening!” Cried the Nazi officer.

“Oh, it is, and you’re responsible. I hope that he grants a painful death.” He thought as he smiled. He took active enjoyment in their suffering.

The Pillar Man then erupted from the stone, he stood there, cracking his neck, assessing the situation around him.

“I see the world has undergone significant changes during my slumber. These insignificant inventions must be popular here.” He said.

“What he say?” A soldier cried fearfully.

“I said your pitiful illuminations are no match against my power!” He declared.

Then, at light speed, the Pillar Men used his abilities to fuse the men together. The man used his enhanced vision to watch the spectacle, it was quite beautiful.

“AHH!” The men screamed. “MY HANDS!” Cried another.

“We’re stuck together!” The men whimpered.

The Nazi officer gasped in horror as he looked at his hands, he saw the fingers of another man pierce right through his. The Nazi officer turned to see the Pillar Man was behind him.

“AH!” He cried in terror. The Pillar man inserted his finger deep into the man’s skull and began to suck his body dry. The men collapsed to the floor like deflating balloons.

The Pillar Man then looked in the Man’s direction, wait, did he see him?

The Pillar Man then walked back to the stone and turned around before shouting, “Wamuu!”

He then placed a finger on each sleeping Pillar Man beside him.

“Now is the time, awaken my masters!” He cried. The two other Pillar Men erupted, they then stood over their current environment. As the rightful gods they are, looking down upon mortals. Now was his time to make it out before they do spot him. He needed a way to approach them properly.

\---

The grouped gathered around a large stone with a gaping mouth, it was big enough to place your hand in. Joseph and the Baron looked in awe as the German used the mouth to open a pathway into a dark tunnel.

“Somehow this doesn’t surprise me. The famous ‘Mouth of Truth’ was a secret entrance all this time.” Speedwagon said.

Frank put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder.

“I think it would be best if you stayed close to me Joseph.” Frank whispered into Joseph’s ear.

“What? You don’t tell me what to do!” Joseph yelled. Frank then let go Joseph.

Before they went in, Speedwagon asked a question.

“Baron, are you sure you want to do this?” He asked.

“You are pretty old, you could turn back.”

“No. These creatures are responsible for the masks. They need to be destroyed. I won’t hesitate to do that.” The Baron said firmly.

“Alright then, we’ll just continue forward.”

They eventually got deeper into stairway, the only light to guide was with lights that illuminated their path on the left side, with carvings of Roman soldiers engaged in combat on the other. A sense of dread filled the air.

“Whew! You can really fill the chill of the dead here. Caesar, what sort of effects has your Hamon had on the sleeping Pillar Men?" Speedwagon asked.

"Hamon is only useful on the living. No reason to waster my powers on a stone. We can’t learn anything if they’re not alive.” Caesar replied.

“From the timbre of your voice, it seems you have tried before, did you fail?” Frank asked.

“That is a good question. Caesar, even if they’re stone hamon could still effect it, did you try at all?” The Baron asked.

Caesar looked at him before turning away.

“Are you just going to ignore me, Caesar?” The Baron asked.

“Yes. It… didn’t work.” He said glumly.

A soldier then walked up to greet them, “Mark! Where have you been?” One asked.

“I was in charge of bringing back Caesar to kill the Pillar Men.” He said, “Why do you ask?”

“I haven’t seen the other soldiers here at all! I was posted outside, someone was supposed to get me a while ago but they never came.”

“Well, then, isn’t that just great news.” Joseph said sarcastically.

“Stop being foolish, JoJo!” Caesar said in annoyance.

“No, something’s wrong! There should be guards posted all around this place.” Mark said.

“Huh?” Caesar asked.

“Really?” Asked Speedwagon. 

“Huh.” Joseph huffed, as he took a step, he felt something slimy under his shoe. It squeaked as he stepped on it.

“Eeeuuuggh! Why didn’t anyone tell me there were bats in here!” Joseph cried in disgust.

Frank them pulled him away, as he immediately shined the light down on the ground. Revealing the deformed and disheveled corpses of soldiers.

“Oh.” Said Joseph.

“They’re husk of dead soldiers.” Caesar said as he felt a bit of unease.

Frank turned, he saw that the other soldier mysteriously vanished, he found that quite odd. It made him suspicious.

“What—what the hell happened to them? They’re all dead!” Mark screamed.

“Stop where you are, whoever did this could still be here! We don’t know what’s out there!” Joseph warned.

As Mark ran he began to see three figures from from the shadows, the three Aztec Gods, also known as the Pillar Men. 

“Whoa! What is that?” Joseph yelled.

“I can’t believe it. They’re—they’re alive!” Speedwagon yelled.

“Impossible!” Baron remarked.

“Run away Mark!” Caesar yelled as one of the Gods approached him.

“GET OUT OF THERE NOW! NO!” In the nick of time the other soldier returned to push him out of the way. The God looked at him curiously before walking away. It did not matter, he had more important purposes to fulfill.

“What?” Was the collective thought the group as the looked at the soldier. Suddenly Frank marched towards the other soldier at frightening speed.

Suddenly, Frank pushed mark away from the other soldier, then took a shotgun and blasted the soldier in the head.

“AHHHHH!” Mark screamed as the soldier scrambled back.

“YOU ASSHOLE YOU REALLY WERE GOING TO BETRAY US!” Speedwagon yelled. 

“Betray? Speedwagon explain yourself now!” The Baron yelled.

“I highly suggest you all turn back now.” Frank said.

Suddenly, the soldier’s body lifted itself off the ground, first he used his legs, then his hips to stand fully. The group watched in horror as the bullet wound in the soldier’s head began to rapidly heal itself before he looked at Frank dead in the eyes. The Pillar Men, now intrigued, watched closely from behind.

“Wha, what the hell? That man, no, that vampire took a bullet to the head like it was nothing. Wait, no, it can’t be.” Speedwagon shuddered.

“They’ve returned, haven’t they?” The Baron asked. 

\---

The man had been shot in the head before, but he did not expect it to hurt that much. That was a Cyberdyne Systems T-800 model 102 who practically blew his brains out. That piece of shit, it was going to pay for what it did. He then arose from the ground and looked at the machine dead in the eye. How dare this thing blast a hole through his head!

“I highly suggest you all turn back now.” It said.

As if he would ever let that happen. He would never even given them the chance to run.

“I didn’t save you because we are comrades.” The man thought to himself as he looked at the remaining Nazi soldier. “I saved you because I have grown quite hungry.”

“Now I will feast.” He thought as bright red hairs emerged from his body and pierced the other soldier before he could run away.

\---

Wamuu looked on at the commotion curiously, he knew something was following him ever since he reawakened, but he did not realize it was a vampire. Although it made him curious as to why. The vampire had the opportunity to strike him before he reawakened, but it chose not to. Which meant it had intelligence as it was able to blend in as one of the other humans. Most vampires would have mindless struck the first thing they see to feed, but this one. He assumed this one must have been around for longer, as he knew vampires with longer lifespans had more wit to them. They would hesitate at first, finding the right target before feeding. Wait, why was this vampire so intriguing to him? Never mind him. The vampire could eat these humans for all he cared, the Red Stone was his only concern, first and foremost. Although, he would have made a great foe in combat. No, forget him, the Red Stone was more important.

He began to walk away with his comrades, the vampire did not matter to him, it never did. Though when he turned around, he noticed that Esidesi, still looked behind him. The vampire managed to use fine red hairs from its body as chains, from which he used to ensnare the human next to him. Soon, he would drain the blood from his body. Although the vampire did something more unexpected. He began to remove his short, revealing a pale chest. The vampire then drew in the human into its body, which then began to absorb the human.

Wait, a Vampire should not be capable of that feat. Only a Pillar Man such as himself could absorb a human whole. The red hairs, wait, could it be who he thought it was? How did he manage to travel to the Western Continent? Did he come along to welcome him and his comrades at their awakening? Did he never enter a slumber? No, impossible. He did not have as much experience as the others. This shouldn’t be possible, but this impossibility was right in front of him.

The blonde-haired human in the bandana screamed for his friend and tried to run towards him. Red tentacles protruded from the “vampire’s” body. Naturally, the foolish human ended up receiving his punishment by of a lash by one of these tentacles, pushing him back a few meters. It was quite the light punishment for such a foolish mistake. Would it be Wamuu standing there that human would die almost immediately. The brunette human ran to his friend and looked at his arm, a long gash ran across his fore-arm.

“Jesus Christ!” The human called out.

The elder humans looked on in horror, what a curious situation those humans were in. Should he let this “vampire” continue in his rampage and search for the Red Stone, or intervene for the honor of the human’s comrades? No, what a ridiculous thought. Who cares about a bunch of primitives, the Red Stone was more important.

The “vampire” released his meal, causing the human’s corpse to fall to the ground. Wamuu heard the distinct sound of precious metal hitting the stone ground. Blood covered the necklace in red blood. The helmet this “vampire” wore fell of, revealing two peculiar horns.

\---

The man eyed Joseph carefully, now that he gotten rid of that pesky German, he could now get his hands on him. He could not wait to kill him, it filled with an odd glee. He did not care for the T-800, he could kill it with ease. Red hairs erupted from the back of his neck and made their way towards Joseph. Joseph gasped before the T-800 blasted more rounds into him, pushing him backwards. He fell once more.

The T-800 then decked him right in the face, its knuckle cracked and sparkled with energy as he flew backwards.

“That bastard, was that Hamon?” He said. Perhaps this reprogrammed T-800 model was stronger than he anticipated. Now he was curious as to how the machine manage to acquire Hamon? Whatever, it wasn’t a threat.

“I highly suggest that we leave effective immediately, as there are too many high-level threats to engage in at once.” It said.

“How dare you?” He thought as he lunged towards the machine.

\---

Esidesi watched the commotion with a little bit of suspicion. He had suspected that least two of these “humans” were out of the ordinary as he could not detect them easily. When he awoke, he detected at least five humans in the vicinity. It could not detect the two other members. One, looked like a human, and talked like a human. But this one, could not be a “human,” but again, it could not be a vampire either. It had the strength of one, but it seems he had accompanied these other humans into their chamber, he must have been out in the sun at some point. The other “human,” had eerily similar abilities to his own kind and he knew for a fact that he did not recognize this one as Santana. Santana did not have the age and neither did he have the experience to partake in espionage. Santana would not have cared for such a thing.

Esidesi attempted to approach them and find out what exactly they were before he walked away but Kars stopped him. For all he knew, one of them could possess the ability to use Hamon.

“Don’t bother Esidesi, they’re not worth our time.” Esidesi turned to Kars.

“I am intrigued at their little round of combat, but I believe it is best that we should go. They do not currently pose as threat so there is no reason to interfere.” Kars said.

“Kars, do you find it odd that one of these, vampires, shares the appearance of the child? Do you not find it odd that one of them shows no sign of fear as he manages to best what seems to be our own kind? I want to know what they are exactly.”

“So what? These humans may have found a way to reverse-engineer one of our kind. However, they appear to have failed if they can be bested by another human. You, yourself know how much of a failure that human inventions are. Why even bother? It seems our problems will take care of themselves.”

“Hmm.” Esidesi thought.

He reluctantly walked with them.

“Are you coming Wamuu?” Kars asked. Wamuu turned around and walked with them.

Kars was right, the humans could kill each other for all he cared. The Red Stone was their top priority, it would be foolish for them to not pursue it.

\---

“Wha? What the hell was that?” Joseph screamed. Caesar covered his gash with his shirt.

“It is the Vampire hybrid. It decided to disguise itself as one of the soldiers to ambush us. I am not fully armored to care of it, we need to leave now.” Frank replied.

“No, that thing killed my friend!” Caesar yelled.

“Um, I would agree with you in this case Caesar, I really do, but I don’t think we’re fully equipped to battle thing.” Joseph said as he held Caesar’s shoulder.

“If we stay now the consequences will be severe.” Frank warned.

“Wait, how does he know that—wait, Speedwagon, don’t tell me. YOU ALLIED YOURSELF WITH A TERMINATOR?” Baron screamed.

“DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS THING WITH ME?” Speedwagon yelled back.

“Look, I’d like to stay and chit chat but there’s a Terminator-Vampire-hybrid thing that sliced Caesar currently after us, not to mention the PILLAR MEN ARE GETTING AWAY. So, I think we need to go, like, yesterday.” Joseph urged.

“JoJo, have you gone mad? It killed my friend! I AM NOT LETTING IT GET AWAY!” Caesar screamed.

“Caesar listen, I AHH-“ Joseph gasped as needle struck his shoulder. He looked back at the terminator hybrid as its form changed, it became eerily like Joseph.

“My God, it can alter his shape at will. He managed to take on Joseph’s form in an instant, no wonder it got the drop on us like it did!” Speedwagon gasped in horror.

“I hope you’re aware of what we’re up against now Caesar.” Baron sighed.

\---

“Enough of this! Hamon bubble launcher!” Caesar screamed.

The man watched as thousands of hamon-infused bubbles erupted from Caesar.

The man gave Caesar a horrifying smile, before a blade erupted from his arm, cutting all the bubbles within an instant. The man then jumped to ceiling, clinging to the highly decorated ceiling above with red spines. He lunged after Joseph causing the machine to fire back at the man.

\---

“Incredible. The machine managed to slice the bubbles to ribbons before they even touched it!” Speedwagon said.

“I highly suggest that we create a tight formation around Joseph as we leave. ” Frank Said.

“Pardon me?” Joseph asked.

“What? Why? Why would we take orders from you?” Caesar snapped.

“The Hybrid is currently pursuing Joseph, which means it will kill him soon. A tight formation will protect Joseph as well as preventing any form of confusion. We would also be more likely to survive together. Splitting up at this moment would make all of us more vulnerable.” He said.

“Do what it says, Speedwagon, Caesar.”

As much as the Baron hated to be within a few feet from the machine, nonetheless, take orders from the machine, it was right. He was right and he hated it. The Baron wanted to kill it if he could, but he knew it would be fruitless. Afterall, were it not for the machine, Joseph and most likely, his grandson, would be dead. 

“What? You want me to die for Joseph now?” Caesar asked. “This brat—”

“DO WHAT IT SAYS DAMNIT! DON’T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF AGAIN!”

“Ugh, I’m going to get babied again, aren’t I?” Joseph thought. He did not say, but he begrudgingly went along with Frank’s idea. He knew the Pillar Men were dangerous, yes, but he knew practically nothing about whatever creature was in front of him. Even worse, he didn’t even know if whatever that thing was, was actually a vampire, or something more disturbed.

They began to run, other’s outside Joseph’s circle knew to stay close to him so that no harm came his way.

\---

“So, running away? For a machine I didn’t think you would be such a coward.” The man thought.

He used his spines to crawl towards the group above them in a similar fashion to a spider.

\---

As the thing came closer, Joseph began to feel a small but of fear. The way it moved was just ungodly. Even the movements of the Pillar Men seemed far more natural and human-like then the way this, thing was moving. Was it even a man? Joseph began to sweat. However, he grabbed the side of his belt, he knew his clacker volleys would come in handy.

Caesar begrudgingly held his arm and steadied himself. Caesar knew a little about the terminators before from his grandfather, he knew they were dangerous. Yet, never did it occur to him that they could come in such a variety of forms. He wanted to fight back, he wanted to return for the necklace of the girl that Mark loved, but he could not disobey his grandfather, not even if he wanted to. Maybe, this time, his grandfather was right. Although he knew this time whatever stunt that this thing pulled, he would be ready for it.

Speedwagon studied the thing carefully, what did the machine call it? A hybrid? It unnerved and confused him. That is when he noticed the horns protruding from the top of its head. Horns, those horns seemed familiar. Speedwagon gasped.

“No, it couldn’t be.” He thought.

He didn’t realize before, but now that the creature changed its form, turning into this demonic version of Joseph he realized something. This thing was related to the Pillar Men somehow, its regeneration, its maneuverability, he should have known.

Speedwagon shuddered, “How, how did Skynet manage to create such a creature?” He thought.

\---

The man smiled at them, the fools actually believe that forming a circle around Joseph would somehow protect them? Even it gave them a higher chance of survival, he would find a way to get to Joseph through their barrier. Once he crawled right above them, he stopped. Red spines emerged from its head and directed themselves towards the group. The machine responded by pulling out a knife and slicing each spine that came his way. A spine managed to slip past the machine, causing Caesar to grab the spine with his hamon-infused hand, the spine detached before it could make its way up towards the man. Maybe he should have given the machine more credit. He looked towards one of the stone pillars.

“Very well then machine if you think you will be better together. I will let you all be together, in hell.” He thought as he lunged towards the pillar.

\---

Frank looked above the group as he saw the other machine behind a pillar.

“Stop, Break the circle.” Frank commanded.

“What? Didn’t you just say we would survive better together?” Caesar said.

“The Hybrid has managed to circumvent my plans. Its going to use a Pillar to crush us and block the exit.” He said.

“WHAT?” Joseph screamed.

“There is no more time.” Frank warned.

They heard a pillar begin to crumble.

“Run now.” He commanded.

The group spilt, they ran towards the exit, a suddenly a large stone crashed in front of them, a stone massive enough to prevent them from leaving. Frank looked around, Speedwagon and Zeppeli seemed to have vanished. Frank then noticed another large stone direct its way towards Joseph.

“Move.” The machine commanded as he pushed Joseph out of the way, causing the stone to crush him instead.

Joseph screamed. “NO!!!!”

\---

The man wanted to attack back at his foes, but then he looked over and saw the Pillar men. He then had a better idea in mind. He knew he would have a hard time killing off the humans, so he decided to do something a bit different.

\---

The Pillar man heard a loud crash.

“You think that they would have an easier time killing each other.” Kars said.

Another one was heard, but it was louder, and more violent. It shook the entire chasm. A screamed could then be heard from the distance.

Kars chuckled softly, “Never-mind.”

“Kars are you sure that we should let that, vampire live? It seems to have gotten more careless. We should kill it for its foolishness before it collapses this entire chasm. I would be annoyed if I had to dig my way out rather than walk.” Esidesi said.

“No. I don’t believe it will bother us anymore. It probably doesn’t care about us anyway. Whatever issue it had was with those humans, not us.” Kars replied.

They began to walk a little further out of the chasm. 

Smoke entered the chasm from the outside. His master peered through the smoke, Kars smelled the air, it was the familiar scent of an early night. Wamuu bowed as his masters looked outside.

“It appears to be night outside, Wamuu.” Kars spoke.

“That is correct, Lord Kars. And what shall be your bidding?” He replied. The question was probably for nothing, he already knew what they were after. Still, he must respect his masters.

“Easy, we will be searching for the whereabouts of the Red Stone of Aja.” Esidesi said as he held a stone mask with a large hole at the top of the head.

“The stone is the last piece we need to complete the mask. Then, we will unleash its power.” He said.

“Of course, Master Esidesi.” Wamuu replied.

“However the human world has changed much over the years that we slumbered.” He explained, “Long ago, it was the emperor of Rome who possessed the stone. Unfortunately, I am certain that age has ended.”

“Well then, we simply need to find where it is the stone currently calls home.” Kars replied.

“They say the emperor Caesar Augustus cherished the stone above all things. I believe that the humans of today still tell stories of it. I shall retrieve the stone for you, my masters.” He said.

“There is time Wamuu.” Kars assured.

“For the moment then, let us go outside and observe the changes that have occurred in the human world.” Esidesi replied.

Wamuu nodded as he remained in the position. The two managed to walk past him. Kars, on the other hand, got a little two close to Wamuu’s shadow. He panicked for a mere moment, if Kars stayed for a moment longer in his shadow, he would be torn apart.

“Forgive me master.” He thought as he kicked Kars away from his shadow. Wamuu felt a small lash against his thigh as he kicked his master away.

“WAMUU!” Esidesi yelled. “Explain your insolence!”

“Stay your hand, Esidesi.” Kars replied as blood spilt from the small gash in his arm. He tensed his arm, lowering the pressure in his body until he stopped the blood-flow in his arm entirely. It was so violent you could hear a small snap as he released his arm.

“I apologize, Lord Kars.” He said as he lowered his head.

“Of course. It had slipped my mind that you possess a reflexive attack against anyone who dares walk across the depth of your shadow. It has been two thousand years after all.”

“I have offended you my lord.” He said.

“I will accept any punishment you see fit.”

“Hmm. I simply cannot accept your apology. Your innate fighting spirit is what makes you a great warrior, and that is why I trust you. The fault is my own for treading upon your darkness. Please forgive my transgression.”

“You are too kind.” Wamuu said softly as he bowed.

“Hmmph.” Kars scoffs.

“Rise Wamuu.”

“Yes, Master.” Wamuu said as he slowly began to rise.

Esidesi turned around as he walked away from them.

“So, you guys are looking for the Red Stone?” Wamuu said.

“What was that, Wamuu?” Esidesi snapped as he turned as saw an expression of confusion upon Wamuu’s face.

“Master, I did not say anything.” Wamuu said.

A voice that sounded similar to Wamuu began to speak, “You guys are in luck then.”

The Pillar men looked to the ceiling to find the same vampire from before, but had the appearance of Wamuu but with different horns and the wires atop his head. This Wamuu had attached himself to the ceiling using red spine like appendages protruding from his back and head. The false Wamuu slowly lowered himself from the ceiling and landed gracefully to the ground, he shot up quickly before looking at the Pillar Men dead in the eyes.

“You know, of all the time I have spent in this wretched world, I never once thought I would impersonate the appearance of a Pillar Man, funny that. It seems I have gone full circle.” The false Wamuu said as he rubbed his face.

“Stop! You dare make a mockery of the mighty Wamuu?” Wamuu yelled back to his impersonator.

Kars raised his arm.

“Just who are you exactly?” Kars asked.

“Who I am is not really that important right now.” The false Wamuu said as he brushed his hair with his hand.

“What is really important here is the Red Stone, right Kars?” He asked.

“It knows our names?” Esidesi asked as he approached the false Wamuu, Kars stopped him.

“You know about the Red Stone?” He asked.

“The Red Stone. The Red Stone. Honestly, who doesn’t know about the Red Stone?” The false laughed, “Look, what if I told you I knew where the Red Stone was?”

Wamuu gasped as Esidesi growled in anger.

“You really know where the Red Stone is?” Wamuu asked.

“Of course not Wamuu, this thing is just an arrogant vampire!” Esidesi yelled.

“Kars was right for me not to be concerned, this vampire thinks he is so high and mighty just because he is somewhat more capable than a mere human. Pathetic.”

The false Wamuu laughed again as he brushed his hair.

“Well, you seem calm for a vampire who is about to meet a long and painful death.”

“You really think you can kill me?” The false Wamuu scoffed.

“Enough! You!” Kars pointed at the false Wamuu.

“You really know where the Red Stone is?” Kars asked.

“Well, yeah, duuuh! It’s not far from here actually. It’s in Venice, well, its more-so in the possession of a Hamon master named Lisa-Lisa if you want to get reeeally technical.” He said.

“Wait, the Hamon tribe is still alive? I thought we eradicated their clan two-thousand years ago. No, they should be eradicated! Don’t trust this arrogant fool Kars, he’s lying!” Esidesi warned.

Kars raised his hand and Esidesi walked away. Kars then walked close to the false Wamuu. He was practically face to face with him.

“How do we know to trust you?” Kars asked.

“Because without me you will never get the stone. Afterall, I’m the one who prevented you from getting it in the first place.” He said.

Esidesi looked at him strangely, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, because it happened before, or should I say about to happened, was going to happen? Or maybe it happened in a timeline that no longer exists?” He says.

“I’ve had enough of this fool!” Esidesi yelled as he revealed his veins, causing the room to steam up. “I will end this miserable creature, here and now.”

“Oh, your hot veins, I’m so scared! What are you going to do, burn me alive?” He said mockingly. 

Esidesi stood there in slight shock, how did he know he had such an ability? He then shrugged off his words. He will not let this little _pest_ get the best of him.

Kars looked at him suspiciously, “You say this like you have experienced this all before.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying maaaaan!” The false Wamuu said in a playful tone.

“Why are you guys confused by this- oh wait, you don’t know, do you?” The false Wamuu began to laugh, his laughter filled the chamber.

“Oh, wow, time travel is quite funny isn’t it? Okay, I guess I will have to explain it to you. Well, I’m going to say this bluntly, you died and never got the stone.”

“WHAT?” Esidesi yelled.

“Well, you died, you died.” The false Wamuu said as he pointed to Esidesi and Wamuu.

“You, got the stone, but then you got blasted of into space. Which was tragic, but also kind of funny.” The false Wamuu said as he pointed to Kars.

Kars looked at him in an expression that could only be described as pure disgust. The disgust then changed to curiosity as an idea formed in his mind.

Wamuu look on at the teacher, he would have been more enraged at the creature for insulting him by stealing his appearance but his words seemed to be so intriguing. He wanted to know more about this creature.

“Are you meaning to say you know what will happen in the future?” Kars asked.

“Oh Kars, I don’t know what will happen in the future, I am from the future.” He laughed.

“STOP! Kars, I beg you, let me kill this pathetic creature, his antics have become quite irritating. This is all just a ruse to stall his imminent death!” He yelled.

“From the future? That’s impossible. No one can be from the future.” Wamuu thought.

“NO!” Kars snapped back at Esidesi, who growled in annoyance as he retracted his veins.

“I should have killed you the moment I awoke from the pillar.” Esidesi snarled.

“I am a little annoyed by this vampire, but he has made me quite curious. I want to know what he is playing at.” Kars said, “I want to know what sort of trick he has in mind, he might actually be a worthy foe for me. I want to know what he says before I kill him in combat.”

“Well I hate to break it to you bud, you can’t kill me, even if you did, you still would never get the Red Stone without me.”

“If you are really from the future, what action do you think I will take next?” Kars asked.

“Easy, you will try to use your bone blade against me before you decapitate me and then subsequently eat me. Still I don’t see how this will prove to you that I am from the future.” The false Wamuu said as Kars pulled the blade to his throat. “Still, that won’t work though.” He said as he stared Kars dead in the face. The false Wamuu seemed to show no sign of fear as Kars held the blade to his throat.

Kars remained calm, but his eyes began to shake a little, he was slightly afraid. He broke contact with the false Wamuu. On the outside, it seemed that Kars was a little frightened by his calm demeanor against what seemed like an imminent death. He wasn’t worried by his calm demeanor though, but by why he hasn’t decided to attack him yet. This vampire had something planned, it was bold. Otherwise, why would he approach foes who seemed to outmatch and outnumber him? He assumed at first it was his pride, but now he was not sure. His words seemed to suggest that this vampire somehow fought Kars in the past, but such a scenario was impossible. He retracted his blade before examining the false Wamuu.

“Well then, interesting, then tell me this, why are you here, how did you get here, and why do you want to help us?” Kars asked.

“Honestly, The only reason why I’m here is to get back at this bastard named Steppenwolf, and I also want to kill Joseph Joestar. I want to help you guys because it seems I will be having a hard time killing him by myself. Not with one of his buddy’s still around. And most of all, the being that brough me here, Skynet, also doesn’t want Joseph Joestar to live very long.”

“Skynet? What is this Skynet? Is he also a vampire” Wamuu asked.

“Wamuu! Did we give permission to speak!” Esidesi snaps.

The false Wamuu gave a hardy laugh, which only caused Esidesi to growl in anger.

“Stay your hand Esidesi.” Kars said.

Kars turned his head back to the false Wammu, “Continue.” He spoke.

“Well then, I’m glad you asked my dear friend! Let’s just say that after you guys died—” The false Wamuu was interrupted as a shotgun barrel carved a hole strait through the false Wamuu’s head. The false Wamuu stumbled a bit before turning around to face the group. The hole began to close within a few seconds.

“Oh, right, you’re still alive.” The false Wamuu spoke in annoyance.

\---

**Five minutes before**

Joseph ran towards the pillar. His heart began to race. He hated to say it, but he was growing attached to his new friend, what would he be able to do without him. What would he be able to do with the thing coming after him? Joseph investigated the distance, the creepy visage of him lowly came near him.

“Finally. It all ends here.”

It spoke, it spoke just like him.

It then charged towards Joseph. Joseph tensed his muscles, ready to fight the creature in any way he could.

Then suddenly, the pillar rumbled. The pillar shot back at his mirror image with a violent intensity. His mirror image flew back a few feet before becoming submerged by the pillar. The pillar appeared to have crushed it.

Joseph looked over from the rubble to see his companion as strong as ever looking into the shadows and rubble.

“Frank! You’re alive!” Joseph cheered with joy.

Frank looked back over to Joseph.

“Of course, I am alive. Why would you believe I could not survive such a minor blow?” He said bluntly.

“A minor blow? You call being buried under a large pillar a ‘minor blow?’” Joseph thought.

“Oh, right, why do I keep forgetting that you’re a robot?” Joseph asked.

“Perhaps you have grown attached to me?”

“….”

“In a platonic fashion?”

Joseph looked over to see that his mirror image, the creepy distorted image of himself, was gone. Th rubble that had restrained it was no more.

“We should find the others before it does. We want to make sure that its not going to try and impersonate them next.” He said.

“Oh, you’re right! Ceasar! CAESAR!”

“I’m over here you idiot.” Caesar called out from the darkness.

Frank stopped Joseph from getting closer.

“Careful, it could be the other terminator. It is likely that it just imitated Caesar just now.” He warned.

“Uh, I, um. If you’re really Caesar…” Joseph called out.

“Oh, for the love of God…” Called Caesar from the distance.

Suddenly, thousands of tiny bubbles appeared before them. Caesar walked towards them from the distance.

“I readied my hamon bubble launcher in case that thing strikes again. If I here even one pop. I would know it was somewhere close.” He said.

“Well, for a narcissist at least he is fully capable of defending himself.” Joseph thought.

“Where’s Speedwagon? Where’s my grandfather?” Caesar asked.

“I do not recall their last location, as I was temporarily buried under a pillar.” Frank said bluntly.

“Speedwagon! Grandfather! Are you okay?” He called out.

“Over here!” Said the faint voice of Speedwagon from the distance.

Frank walked swiftly over to the pillar. The Pillar blocked off their nearest entrance, and so far it could not identify any other life signs. Which indicates that either Will A Zeppeli has been killed and that Speedwagon is near death, or that they successfully made it to the exit before the other terminator could kill them.

“Speedwagon, Speedwagon? Is that you? Are you alright?” Cried Joseph.

“I’m fine, we made it to the exit, but when I tried to run back for you both, the Pillar block us off. We can't come back in! You need to find another route out if you want to get out of here!” Speedwagon cried.

“Is Caesar there?” Asked another faint voice.

“Caesar! As your grandfather I command you not to fight the Pillar men! Get out of here immediately!” He said.

Caesar balled his fist and walked away.

“Caesar? Caesar! Caesar Zeppeli!” His grandfather yelled out.

“Are you going to answer your grandfather?” Frank asked.

The machine noticed he was walking in the direction that the pillar men went.

“Do you realize you could soon come into contact with the pillar men by doing that?” Frank asked.

Caesar kept walking.

“Caesar? What is he saying?”

“It seems he can’t hear you Baron. He must be farther away.” Speedwagon sighed.

Joseph rushed over to Caesar.

“Hey! Are you seriously going to ignore your grandfather? Be reasonable now Caesar, that thing is still out there somewhere and not to mention we still have the Pillar men to deal with!”

“Shut up Joseph! I will not be lectured by you!”

“Seriously? Why are you like this? You grandfather-“

“Don’t talk to me about my grandfather Joestar! Since he is behind that rock, I know he’s safe. Which means he won’t have to worry when I kill that thing and the Pillar men!”

“Are you serious? You’re out of your mind Caesar!” Joseph cried.

Frank followed him as he walked away. Joseph tried to reason with Caesar, but Caesar promptly ignored him. He then noticed a figure in the distance. He had blonde hair and similar attire to the dead soldiers, he was slightly more muscular. He looked like one of those pillar men. He then realized then that must be the Hybrid. He had to act quickly, so he took out his shotgun, and blasted it in the back of the Hybrid’s skull.

\---

“How wonderful.” Esidesi thought. “Now this vampire’s business has become our own.”

“Damn, why does it always have to shoot me in the fucking head?” The false Wamuu growled in anger as he covered his head with his hand before promptly putting it to his side.

“Masters, what should be our next choice of action?” Wamuu asked.

Kars investigated the dust within the distance. He turned around and began to walk away.

“We will simply continue doing what we did before. Except this time, the vampire can come with us.” Kars said.

“What, do you really believe what this fool of a vampire is saying!?!!” Esidesi snapped back.

“If he is truthful, he will lead us to the stone. If not, we will simply kill him. From what I can tell, he is in no way capable of threatening us.” Kars promptly replied.

“Now, come along.” Kars said to the Wamuu. “I also expect you to answer the rest of our questions when we get outside.”

“Can’t do that right now.” Said the false Wamuu. “Not with this asshole.”

“Hey, no need name-call.” Replied one of the humans.

Another human came close to them, he had short brunette hair, and seemed to be the broadest among the humans. He stared at the pillar men with a blank expression with on of the human inventions in his hands. Another human that thought his useless inventions could save him.

“Leave him, he’s just a human.” Kars said.

“Oh, you’re in for a surprise then.” Replied the false Wamuu.

The broad human was about to strike the false Wamuu again when the blonde haired human stopped him.

“Move, I got this! You! You think you can just kill my friend and then walk away? HAMON BUBBLE LAUNCHER!”

Thousands of bubbles appeared before them.

Wamuu wanted to touch one but his false counterpart stopped him.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.” He said as he used a finger to pop the bubble, causing it to sizzle and burn from its touch.

This got the attention of Esidesi and Kars.

“So, there still are hamon users.” Kars said unimpressed by the other human’s handiwork.

“He was telling the truth?” Esidesi asked.

“Prepare for a bombardment!” The blonde-haired human yelled.

Wamuu was about to cut them but his false counterpart stopped him again.

“No need to, I got this.” He said as blade emerged from his arm and cut all the bubbles around him.

The blonde-haired human was taken aback. The false Wamuu’s appearance began to change as his skin got lighter. He soon took the appearance od the blonde human.

“You really think that hamon bubble launcher is still going to work? You really are just as annoying as I remembered Caesar.” The false human said in his voice.

Wamuu looked at the vampire curiously, “He knows these humans as well as us?” He thought.

“Y-You.” The human stuttered in shock.

The broad human then attempted to fire at him again, but the false human kicked the insignificant invention out of his hand. Red spines emerged from his body and tried to pierce the broad human. The broad human danced around them like it was nothing but simple debris. The broad human then grabbed on the spines and threw the false human. The false human flew backwards and crashed against a wall.

Wamuu stared in awestruck confusion. Humans were known to do great feats of strength under stress, but this was nothing something Wamuu saw a human do before. It would have been impossible for a human to dodge the blows of that vampire, nonetheless, fling them around like they were mere stones. The broad human then stared blankly at Wamuu.

“That human…” Esidesi, “I should have killed that human too.”

Wamuu then looked at the broad human.

“Stop, I think that’s quite enough.” Wamuu said as he attempted to grab the human by the throat.

The human effortless dodged and then attempted to strike Wamuu dead in the face. Wamuu dodged him by bending his body. The human was ever fearless as he attempted to strike him. Strange, if this human was accompanying a hamon user did that mean he might also be a hamon user? If he was not, then why would he be so reckless as to attempt to strike him directly? Was he but another daring human willing to kill themselves by foolishly thinking they could annihilate the mighty Wamuu? No, Wamuu saw the expression on his face. It was emotionless, empty, it was like that before as Wamuu witnessed him previously fight. It was not that he was fearless or another foolishly daring human, he had no emotion. Why? It was not like that this human was stoic, he did not cry when he noticed one of his comrades die. Wamuu knew that they were some humans who seemed less capable of expressing emotion, but this human was different. He just did not seem to care in the slightest with whatever happened to him. Wamuu then felt his cheek, there was blood, not the blood from his enemy, but his own blood. Wamuu walked back a bit before stretching himself out again. No, that should not be possible, but there it was, his own blood.

It then dawned on Wamuu that this “human” was not human at all. The false human said he needed him and his masters. He noted that one of the human’s party members was “difficult.” Was this “human” just another vampire? 

No, that made no sense, he could not be a vampire either, because why would hamon users ally themselves with a vampire? His own kind and the vampires were mortal enemies to these hamon users. The hamon users would have no reason to ally themselves with a vampire. Was this human perhaps, more skilled with hamon, and thus, more agile?

No, that couldn’t be the reason either. Hamon users did indeed have greater abilities than non-hamon-users, but that would in no way grant them the ability to strike the mighty Wamuu. Wamuu was practically invincible and untouchable. No hamon user could ever strike him before. Could it possible that the humans have become more proficient with their hamon?

That would not make sense either, as he did not detect the broad human use any sort of hamon on him.

Moments later, the false human flew up the air and kicked the broad human across the head. The broad human stumbled back but then regained his stance. This thing was not human, but at the same time, it was not a vampire either. What was this thing?

“You might be wondering who that guy over there is Wamuu, and I happy to oblige.” Said the false human.

“You see what, what you have just battled is what you call a terminator. This one is a T-800. Which is why I am happy you guys are here.” He said.

Terminator? This was new to Wamuu. What is this terminator? Is the reason that the broader human was a little harder to kill.

“What do you mean, ‘terminator’?”

“Well, you like to think that human inventions are weak and insignificant. This one right here is the antithesis of that. He is made of rock and metal.”

Wamuu wiped away the blood from his cheek. 

Wamuu was a bit surprised. A human made of metal. Humans were actually capable of doing that? It would explain his outer strength, but what about his emotion? What was it about him being made of metal that could make so unphased by Wamuu’s presence? Is that why this false human was strange? Is he too this terminator? But he said that terminator is made of rock and metal. So, is the false human not a terminator then? Wamuu had strange excitement to this whole situation. To humans, it was like finding something annoying with their research, but then under closer inspection, discovering something entirely new that they did not notice before. Something that could change the world drastically. Monotonous at the time, but once realized, it becomes a fun and even exciting activity. Wamuu wanted to know everything about these terminators. What they were, and what made them tick. It reminded Wamuu of the stories told by elder humans about the Greek Gods. The “pantheon” as they called it. They said there was a god who can make men from stone, was it Hephaestus? The Romans also made automata from stone, is that like this terminator? No, the roman automata were nowhere near as complex as this “terminator” he sees before him. Perhaps this one will be a worthy opponent for him. 

Meanwhile, Esidesi looked on in annoyance, he had enough of the chaos. This vampire was already annoying enough, but now there are these terminators he has to interact with? Annoying. Esidesi was going to end this chaos once and for all. Forget Kar’s insolence. He has been asleep within stone too long to realize how much of threat these things are to them getting the Red stone. This vampire, this “human,” they both needed to be extinguished.

“Esidesi, stop.” Kars commanded.

“Kars, you are my comrade and a great warrior. However, I cannot let this continue.” Esidesi said as he leapt into the air flying past the stairs.

“Esidesi, you are making a big mistake.” Kars warned.

Esidesi then landed on the ground with a loud bang, causing the ground to crack slightly.

“Enough! Wamuu, return to us immediately. You two, on behalf of my comrade Kars who seems to take great interest in you. I will first ask you kindly to cease your actions and pursue us no further. However should you choose to ignore my warning I will have no choice but to eradicate you both.”

“Well, tell that to the T-800.” Said the false human as he gestured towards this terminator.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I cannot do that. You currently pose an active threat to the humans around me and will likely attempt to terminate my protected target, so therefore I will be forced to engage.” Said the T-800.

“Well then, prepare to die. I would say it was fun while it lasted, but it was not.”

Veins then protruded from Esidesi as they attempt to ensnare and burn both the vampire and this “terminator.” This terminator seemed to effortlessly dodge them, every time the veins got close he dance and moved around. The other vampire seemed to have cut any veins he saw in his way with a blade that he kept in his flesh. Interesting, normally any vampire or human would have melted at this point.

“I told you.” Said the false human.

\---

Caesar looked on in pure terror and shock. It turned into him. It mocked him. From what he saw. It also somehow managed to ally itself with the pillar men. What kind of thing does that? There must have been more to this thing. It was terrifying in of itself to know what this thing was capable of.

Meanwhile, Joseph was stunned. Not by the Pillar men, but by how his terminator guardian seemed to effortlessly avoid them. Joseph knew they were more than ordinary vampires, but he still somehow surprised that Frank even managed to land a hit all. Not only that, but he also managed to dodge the attack of a pillar man. He was even surprised that the pillar man could do that. He felt a little bad for calling his terminator guardian names. Could he possibly do that? No, he knew it would take more than feeble clacker volleys to land a hit on them. Joseph grew slightly envious.

\---

Esidesi felt slightly embarrassed, not at these beings, but by how much he managed to fail right before the eyes of human. He had to kill them for that. He could not let them live very long for them to witness his shame. For now, he will let Wamuu take care of them. He would just pretend he was a little annoyed by their bickering.

“Now, will you help me kill them?” The false human asked.

“Hmmpf.” Esidesi scoffed. “Well then. Fine, I accept your request. But know this, annoy me again and I will kill you.”

The false human shrugged, and walked back towards Kars. 

“May I have a go at this ‘terminator,’ Masters?”

“Fine then, you may kill that ‘terminator’ as well as these insufferable humans but not yet.”

Unbeknownst to Esidesi and Wamuu, Kars was silently judging the two. He knew this creature would get the best of Esidesi, that was to be expected. This “vampire,” if he could even call him that has grown to be quite the interesting creature. It managed to easily dodge Esidesi’s most dangerous attack, and not only that, revere him with the most respect he has seen from any warrior. Perhaps he finally met a foe worthy of his time.

“I also have another request, Master.” Said Wamuu.

“What is that?” Asked Esidesi.

“Make it one minute.”

“Very well then, one minute and then we will leave this place.”

The false human watched Esidesi as he walked away.

“You, come with me.” He commanded.

“Aw, you mean I can’t watch?” He whined.

“You seem rather suspicious, but not only that you are a nuisance. I want to keep an eye on you.” He said firmly.

“Well, then I also like to make a request.” The false human said smugly as he crossed his arms.

“What is that?” Esidesi asked.

“Hey Joseph! Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you going to use your Cracker Volley?”

Esidesi stared at him in irritation and with a slight hint of confusion.

“That, was not a request.” He said annoyed.

\---

Joseph’s face turn red as the terminator called him out. This terminator was strange, not only that, but it also seemed to have known him somewhat if he knew his Cracker Volley. And, he spoiled a surprise he had planned. But that was not what bothered him. What bothered him was how casual he seemed. What was it about this terminator that made it so human? Something was off about this terminator and he knew it. There was something Frank was not telling him, and he need Frank to tell him now.

Frank on the other hand, could not really engage right now, as he had his eyes fixed on the pillar man before him. His facial expression indicated he was eager to make his first mark upon him.

“Frank. What is it talking about?”

“I do not know. This terminator seems to have formed a human personality.” He said.

“No, what the hell is he playing at?”

“J-Joseph, I think we should run. This machine can give us the perfect opportunity to run.” Caesar said with increasing worry.

“What, you really going to say that now? Weren’t you eager to kill that thing just now? Frank is not telling me anything.”

“Look Joseph, I think my grandfather was right. We were in way over our heads. If your machine friend knows everything about you, and this thing seems to know what you just had in your hand. It would be a safe assumption that this thing, knows everything about you as well.” Caesar said.

Joseph was angered by Caesar’s sudden turn around in behavior. Joseph did not realize that Caesar finally managed to grasp the whole picture. This thing, it knew a lot about them, it acted strange, and yet somehow familiar. Caesar now understood what his grandfather was trying to tell him. He wished now that he would have listened. He now hoped that it was not too late for him now.

“First of all, his name is Frank. Second, I want him to tell me what the hell is going on. FRANK.” Joseph yelled. 

“You won’t do that so easily with this thing here Joseph. I can tell, Its planning something, and I don’t particularly like it.” Caesar said.

Joseph balled his fists.

“The next thing you will say is ‘You are such a stuck-up narcissist, Caesar, why don’t you just shut the hell up?’” Said a voice that sounded like his own.

“You are such a stuck-up narcissist, Caesar, why do-“ Joseph gasped.

The hybrid has now changed back into him.

Frank then realized why this terminator in particular may have had a more human personality then most. Caesar began to ponder why this thing, this enemy, seemed so, familiar…

\---

The man grinned smugly at Joseph. He was going to kill him earlier, but now he is interested in this new fight. He wanted to see how a T-800 stood up against a pillar man. It did better than he imagined when he went against Esidesi. Besides, he was not failing any particular protocol of his programming by doing this. He gave Joseph an unfortunate situation. He might kill Joseph this way. Again, the protocol only called for him to kill Joseph, but it never said he could kill him indirectly. He was going to watch, and possibly kill off Joseph when he was done if they did fail anyway. But now that he has officially joined the pillar men, he didn’t want to do anything to provoke Esidesi further and possibly ruin his alliance. So, he would give Joseph a bit of despair before he left, maybe then he would realize the truth. The man gave Joseph one final word before happily walking away.

“Oh, and another thing Wamuu. Should you fight Joseph, don’t let him fool you he’s prone to tricking people.”

\---

Joseph shook, his whole body shook.

“How, how did he do that? That was my thing, and he took that. That’s impossible. And why did he say that? He doesn’t know me.” He thought to himself. Joseph closed his eyes.

“No, get it together Joseph. It’s trying to get into your head. Don’t give it the chance.” He thought.

He balled his fist. He won’t fight for now, but if his guardian got knocked out. He would be prepared to pull out the finishing blow. Still, he felt more hopeless at the fact that the other terminator basically gave away any trick Joseph could have had up his sleeve.

\---

“Now, you may kill them Wamuu.” Said Esidesi. 

Wamuu then approached his newfound foe.

He already knew that this one would be different, so he would go with a stronger technique than usual, this Divine Sandstorm.

\---

“Look, whatever that Pillar man may do now Frank, I just want to let you know that you should pummel him to the ground as quickly as possible.” Said Joseph.

“I cannot guarantee your safety under these conditions, should this pillar man put me in a place where you are vulnerable. I will have to act accordingly to ensure your safety. Even if it means self-termination.” Frank replied.

The Pillar Man known as Wamuu approached Frank.

“I have taken much interest you. You seem quite different from the other humans. I expected as much when you managed to become the first person to scar the mighty Wamuu. Not only did you scar me, but you did not even have to use hamon to do so. So, congratulations, human, if I can call you that.”

“I will warn you, do not come any closer. I do not know what the other terminator has told you, but I will do anything for the protection of Joseph Joestar. Even if means my own self-termination.” Frank threatened.

“Oh, come now, why do you still act like I care about those other humans? My fight is with you, and not them.”

Frank simply ignored him, he got into a defensive position.

“I will warn you now, please get away from this area. You will risk greater harm should you come any closer. You have no guarantee of surviving should I be terminated.” Frank warned Joseph.

“Don’t worry, I will.” Joseph lied.

“But you still have some explaining to do. This isn’t over Frank.” He said as he stood back a few feet before looking over to Caesar.

“You remain silent, curious.” Said Wamuu.

“Why do you not ask why I only gave you one minute to defeat me. Well, why don’t you ask that blond human for a clue?” The pillar man said as he held his arms behind his back.

Caesar looked at his hand, he noticed it was gushing blood. Caesar gasped as he collapsed to the floor. Joseph held his arm.

“While you two humans were bickering, I managed to create a timer. A timer out of your own blood. I will have to admit, this is very different from what I am used to. I know any attack against you was in vain, so I managed to make a hourglass measured in the blood of the closest ally in your proximity. Should you prove to be more than just a human and beat me your friend gets to live. However, should you fail, you die.” Frank noticed that the pillar man had tensed his arm like a tightly wounded coil.

Frank looked at him in silence.

“Very well, I shall take your silence as an acceptance of my offer.”

Frank assumed a defensive pose, ready to strike should the pillar man try anything in particular.

“Now, since this is quite different then what I am used to, and since you are more illusive than my previous, I will try a stronger attack against you. My Divine Sandstorm.”

Suddenly, his arms released, causing a whirlpool of wind to form around him. He starts by spinning his left arm clockwise, and then his right arm counterclockwise.

Normally, when people are in a situation such as this, they would try to run, flee, maybe even run behind a pillar. However, Frank was no ordinary man, but a modified T-800. Instead of running away, he ran right towards the pillar man. He then leapt into the air, he spun. His head was practically a few inches over the pillar man’s.

Since Wamuu can create a powerful vortex of destruction from the highly pressurized, harsh maelstrom from his arms, it leaves most people defenseless. However, if one was clever enough, one can see the weak point in the maelstrom. As the counterclockwise and clockwise winds will combine to form the vortex, there is a weak point where the winds will cancel each other out. It was like the eye of a storm. Still, the eye of a storm does not mean the danger is over, it is only tiny sliver of security and a whirlpool of death. That weak point was not large, but it was still there.

That weak spot just so happened to be above Wamuu’s head. Wamuu looked on in a but of surprise in wonderous awe. The took locked eyes for a mere moment before Frank decided to strike. Wamuu thought quickly, using his horn to protrude from his head and slice Frank’s shoulder.

Frank flew backwards and hit a pillar.

Wamuu stopped his Divine Sandstorm. He looked over into the general direction of where Frank landed.

“That was shorter than I expected. While I am impressed that you were able to survive such an attack, I am sad to say that our fight ends here. You fought hard until your death and I will say that I was satisfied in that moment. You will be honored with the knowledge that you, at least, tried.” Wamuu said as he walked towards Frank.

Joseph looked on in horror. Frank had given him hope. It was likely that Frank had no chance of beating the Pillar men, but he felt that maybe, just maybe, they would have a chance. Joseph had to do something.

Frank looked back at the Pillar men, he reattached his shoulder. One could almost here a metal click as he did so. The deep gash in his shoulder began to heal. Wamuu immediately grabbed Frank by the neck and pinned him to the wall.

“I do not wish to say anything to these human onlookers, however, is there something you would like for me to say to them before they die? I will have to encourage you to go fast, as I am short on time.” He said. Unknown to Wamuu, Frank seemed to have lost his right arm.

Frank looked at him with no response.

“Hmm, silent even in death? How interesting. Very well then, even if you are not human. I Will take the greatest honor of killing you. Perhaps dissecting you would be quite amusing.”

Joseph began to fake a loud cough. This brought Wamuu’s attention.

“Foolish humans, always willing to save the life of their friend.” Wamuu suddenly heard a noise, the noise of something ricocheting of the pillars. Wamuu turned back to observe his “defeated” foe. He noticed something he did not before. The wound on this “terminator’s” shoulder was gone.

“What?” Wamuu thought. Suddenly, he felt something impale his chest. He looked down to see a hand, a hand that looked like a human, but slightly different. It sparked and burst Hamon energy. The skin on the arm burnt off to reveal a skeletal arm made from steel.

\---

Wamuu was blind sighted and shocked by the blow. This was new, incredibly new. Is this what that false human meant by rock and metal? Perhaps, so, but how was he able to use hamon then?

\---

“Hmmph.” Wamuu groaned.

Frank walked behind Wamuu, ready to kill him Unknown to Wamuu, Frank had lead him into a trap. He, in a sense, wanted Wamuu to strike him and think he defeated him. This would have been a great way to hide how he detached his own arm. 

Now that he had impaled Wamuu, using hamon he took from Joseph’s body, he could now terminate Wamuu and prevent any further harm to his protected target. Wamuu simply laughed before shrugging as pulled on the wire that connected His body to the detached arm.

“You seem to be cleverer than I thought you were. I suppose they were right in the fact that you were not a human. However, you have overestimated your capabilities.”

Wamuu then grabbed the arm that impaled him and pulled it out his chest from behind and crushed it. Then he used the wire to wrap it around Frank’s neck.

“Foolish terminator, you really think a clever little trick like that to best me? Pathetic.”

He then pulled the wire forcing Frank closer to him.

“Now then, I will ask you once more for you sake a cunning warrior, is there anything you would like to say to your human friends before they die?”

“Yes.” The terminator responded blankly. 

“Go on then.” Wamuu said.

“Look out.”

“What?” Wamuu asked before turning around. He then saw a large metal ball smack him upside the head with hamon.

Wamuu gasped.

“Well you seem to be down on your luck. So my buddy Frank here is the first person to have smacked that ugly mug of yours? Well, allow me to be the second.” Joseph cheered.

“You coward!” Wamuu growled as he attempted to punch Joseph.

Suddenly, Wamuu felt a wire wrap around his throat and arm. Frank tugged as Wamuu was ever-so-slowly dragged backwards.

“Joseph, retreat now while you still can. It is highly likely he will terminate you.”

“You dare interfere with our battle human? Do you have no honor for your friend?” Wamuu yelled.

“Shut up, I’m getting tired of looking at your ugly face!!” Joseph yelled back.

“Fine, I will kill you both for such actions then.” Wamuu said as he twisted his neck, throwing Frank right at Joseph, knocking them both a few meters back.

Luckily, Frank managed to catch Joseph and cover him before they flew back.

Wamuu marched towards them in a heated fury.

“Your friend would have accepted a fair death were it not for you. I will not let you insult the death of a true warrior. I did not think you would be such a spineless and cowardly fool to attack me while I was distracted.” Wamuu continued.

“Now that you have ignored the will of your friend. You have no choice but to die as well. It is fortunate that your other friend will also die soon.”

“Get out of here Joestar.” Frank muttered.

“Well, sorry buddy. I cannot do that. If is he is going to kill us all anyway, I might as well thought we could do this together.” Joseph said casually as he grabbed the wire that still connected Frank to the arm.

A pulse of hamon shot through from the wire attached to Frank to the one around Wamuu’s neck. Wamuu managed to snap the wire just in time.

“Nice try, but I do not think that will work so easily.” He said as he threw the arm back to Frank.

Frank observed as the whole in Wamuu’s chest slowly began to heal.

“Do not try and stall any longer. I would like to keep my promise to my masters of killing you both before one minute.”

“Funny you say that. When I have a weapon that will always come back to me.”

Wamuu turned around and saw the Cracker Volleys come his way. He contorted his body to avoid hitting them.

Joseph gasped, at least it was worth a shot.

“It seems that you two have nowhere else to run, and that I have cornered you. I will finish you with the move I began with, Divine Sandstorm!”

Joseph felt as the air sped up around and the wind get faster.

“Aw man! Not again!”

Frank then grabbed Joseph and hid behind a pillar.

“Running away like a coward? I did not think you would be one to do that.”

“What are you doing?” Joseph asked Frank.

Frank stayed silent.

Suddenly, the pillars surrounding them began to shatter from the vacuum. The pillars looked like they were being torn to bits by an unseen force.

“Shit, he’s going to kill us both!” Said Joseph. 

“There, a cart.” Frank said in a whisper.

“Wait. Is that what you were aiming at?”

“Yes, and if we hurry, we may be able to get over there before it is too late. Now, go.”

Both then ran towards the cart, Frank managed to swipe a stick of dynamite as they went, which he promptly gave to Joseph.

The winds suddenly stopped.

As Joseph was about to get in the cart Frank stopped him, as Frank hopped in the cart instead.

“Pretend to be dead, I will lead him away from you.” Frank said.

“Use the dynamite in case one of them comes back.”

“What?” Joseph said as he coughed up a bit of blood.

Wamuu then stood on top of the cart.

Joseph then pretended to lay dead. He didn’t want to, but seeing how Wamuu singlehanded decimated them all, he had not particular choice. Worst of all, he did not have hamon strong enough to fight against him.

“I am a bit disappointed in you. First you tried to trick through an ambush and now you want to escape? How pitiful.”

Frank then pulled on the cart.

“Do you really think I was trying to run away?” Frank asked Wamuu.

“What do you mean by that?” Wamuu replied.

“I have managed to successfully lure you away from the others.” Frank replied blankly.

“Aw, more noble than I thought you would be.” Said Wamuu.

“I presume now is great time to diver the cart away from the rail. But it seems you had already seen that judging by your facial expression.” Said Frank as he kicked the cart, causing it to diverge from the rail. It tossed them both over the valley and onto the outside below.

The other pillar men looked down, curious as the sound of the noise.

\---

As Frank fell, debris from part of the collapsed structure caught the wire coming from Frank’s arm. The wire then wrapped around the debris tightly. Frank then looked back up to the sky, pushing himself forward as he climbed back up to the rail. Caesar must have been unconscious now due his severe injuries and how much blood he lost. Joseph only managed to suffer minor injuries. He now must go back and find the others before the pillar men could do anymore damage.

Frank then noticed Joseph had followed him, he almost felt of feeling of annoyance. Why do humans always choose the most illogical actions that could result in their likely death?

“Joseph, run. It is not safe here, the pillar man could return any minute.” Frank warned.

“There is no way in hell I am letting that happen.” Joseph replied.

“Why?”

“Like I said, even though you’re annoying for a robot.”

“Cybernetic organism.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Joseph panted.

“I would say that I have grown attached to you, and I see you as a friend now. Besides, I would feel slightly guilty if I let you die.”

“Then what about Caesar?” He asked.

“What?” Joseph replied.

“Where’s Caesar?”

“Caesar’s fine, I managed to bandage him up before--“ 

“There you are, human.” Wamuu replied.

“Well, I would like to applaud you. You managed to get rid of me for one second. And it looks as if you already managed to regather. I suppose now you have thought of a brilliant scheme to kill me once and for all.”

They both remained silent.

“Oh so I assume you did not think of a plan to get rid of me?” Wamuu asked.

“Well then.” Wamuu said as he cracked his knuckles.

“I suppose this is your end.”

“WAMUU!” A voice called out from the distance.

Suddenly, Esidesi appeared.

“It has been more than a minute, what has taken you so long—” Esidesi stopped.

“How interesting.”

As Esidesi walked closer, Joseph lit the dynamite. Frank looked at him in what you would describe as shock. 

Frank almost wanted to ask Joseph what he was about to do.

“So, what that little pest of a vampire says is true. You really seem to be different than normal humans. Or better yet, not human at all.”

Esidesi walked towards Frank. Joseph tried to stop him but Esidesi kicked violently, pushing him away from the others.

Frank attempted to stop him but then Esidesi grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the nearest wall.

“Tell me then, what exactly are you? Man? metal?” Esidesi asked.

“No. I am Joseph’s guardian.” Frank replied as Frank took the stick of dynamite that he snatched from Joseph and forced into Esidesi’s mouth. Esidesi stumbled before stumbling back a bit.

Suddenly his belly expanded as the dynamite exploded inside Esidesi.

“What? You really believe that was supposed to stop me? How disappointing.” Esidesi laughed.

“That dynamite was not useful to me, however, this is.” Frank said as he took a large chunk of a pilar and threw it both at Esidesi and Wamuu.

Wamuu attempted to duck but then Frank lunged another piece of at Wamuu. Both of them were knocked to the floor below.

Esidesi began to laugh even harder.

“Well then, this is interesting. You strength is something to be admired, but I don’t think a little blow like that could actually stop me.” Esidesi laughed as he charged towards the machine.

The machine called back to Joseph.

“I would recommend you get Caesar and run now Joseph, as I will buy you time.” It said.

“No!” Joseph yelled back.

“We are heavily outnumbered, and we have already used up our resources, please get out of here Joseph.” Frank warned.

“As I said, I’m not leaving you Frank.” Joseph replied.

“Do you wish to be terminated by the Pillar men, and possibly by the Hyrbid?”

“Look, I don’t care about that at all, as I actually got another brilliant scheme to buy us time.” Joseph said.

“Joseph, if it--“

Joseph did not give Frank the time to speak as he threw his Cracker Volleys yet again.

“Fools! What good do you think that will bring you?” Esidesi asked as he jumped up to where they were.

Suddenly, A cracker volley remerged and attempted to hit Esidesi in the face, he effortlessly moved around them.

He managed to finally meet the two, only to have a stick of dynamite thrown in his face. This time he could not control it to negate its damage.

“Alright now, we can run!” Joseph said as he immediately ran backwards. Frank was confused as to how Joseph managed to acquire a second explosive but that did not matter. Frank then stopped and noticed something, he came close. The dynamite had flown back towards them. The pillar man below, Wamuu, used his Divine Sandstorm to save his master and push the stick back to them. It exploded, and flew the too back five meters. They both landed with a thud.

Joseph struggled to sit up, “Damn it, I didn’t think that egotistical jackass would use his wind to push the dynamite back at me.”

Joseph, didn’t think it could get worse, until he saw Caesar stand there.

“Joseph, you may be the most erratic and annoying human I ever had the pleasure of protecting as a target.” Frank thought.

\---

Caesar ran towards the two, he could hear an explosion from the distance, knocking him to his feet. He hated Joseph, but he at least respected him for saving him back in the pillar.

“What are you doing?”

“You obviously need help, and I don’t want to just sit here.”

“You are an idiot. That robot may be tough, but it would never hold back the pillar man.”

“Well, but at least he bought me time to save you, look, whatever that thing is after me in particular. Even though I think you’re a raging narcissist—”

“A WHAT?” Caesar snapped. 

“Just listen!” Joseph yelled, “Even though you’re a raging narcissist, I can’t let you get crossed into this. I know you’re after the pillar men and all, but I don’t think that now is the best time for this. You need to get out of here.”

“What about you?”

“Frank is strong, but he is going to need my help. If I die, I at least don’t want to die alone. You should still have a chance. Another thing, I don’t say this much, but I’m sorry. All of this was my fault, and you shouldn’t have crossed into this.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why the sudden turn around?”

“If I die, I’m fine, but if you die, there will be no guarantee we would beat the pillar men, hell, we would stand no chance against that thing if we all died.”

He carried his bandaged arm as he walked out to them, he knew the pillar men were there, but he needed to find them. He hated Joseph, but this encounter has shown a side of Joseph he would never even knew existed.

He found them on the ground, he hid behind pillar, hoping that the other pillar men would not see him, but unfortunately for Caesar, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“There you are human, I was wondering when the time on your arm would run out. Although, I admire your courage and managing to stay awake for so long.” Wamuu spoke as he threw Caesar on the ground with the rest of his comrades.

\---

“Now then, we finally managed to be rid of these human pests and their pet. Good work, Wamuu.” Esidesi complimented.

“Thank you Master Esidesi.” Wamuu replied.

Wamuu was about to almost complete his mission, but then he looked at them closely. He was annoyed at first by the humans, but he managed to subdue his own emotions when he realized how much more of a challenge killing them would be. Now, that he has become the victor and in a mostly entertaining battle, something felt wrong. To kill the humans now would seem out of place, but why?

“Hold it! Whatever happened to your warrior honor?”

“What?” Wamuu asked.

“Joseph, what are you doing now?” Asked his terminator companion.

“Well, from the way you talked to my buddy here. It seems you have real thing for fighting a worthy opponent.” Joseph continued.

Caesar was about to snap at Joseph, but then he realized what Joseph was playing at.

“Yeah, you managed to almost kill me when I had no fighting chance, so much for your honor.” Caesar commented.

“Are you saying that I am a coward?” Wamuu growled angerly.

“Well you gave me and my friend Caesar here no fighting chance, you technically betrayed your honor, didn’t you?”

“I do not need to kill any of you to regain my honor! Just what are you trying to say human?” Wamuu snapped.

“I’m saying is that if you give all of us a month to train, I bet we could be worthy opponents. You have to, you were coward who attacked us both when we were technically not included in the fight.”

Wamuu balled his fist, he didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. By slitting the wrist of the blonde human, and attacking Joseph, he became sidetracked. He did technically betray his code. He could have just incapacitated Joseph for interfering, but instead he chose to kill him as well.

“Well, I suppose it was worth it, but fine then, kill me. It was an honor to be killed by the mighty Wamuu, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Said Joseph.

“Wamuu, why you letting a mere human get the better of you! Kill them already!”

“Master? I would like to ask another request.” Wamuu asked.

“What is it this time Wamuu?” Esidesi asked.

“I feel as if I have betrayed my code of honor and would like to battle the humans again in a month.”

Joseph smirked, Joseph caught Wamuu on a foul, and now it has managed to pay off.

“Alright then, go ahead.”

“Good news to you humans, I have decided to take up your offer for a fair fight. Although I have to warn you, that I have to choose only one of you.”

“So you’re going to go through with it then?” Joseph asked.

“Yes.” Wamuu replied.

“Are you sure? There is still a chance to take it back.” Said Joseph.

“Yes, and since one of your allies is not a human, I would like to offer you something in return. Since you are the first true human to scar my face, I offer you my wedding ring of death.” Joseph gasped in shock as Wamuu pulled out a rather small green ring.

Frank almost wanted to interfere but he realized by now it would be illogical and would cause a greater tragedy then the one his comrades experienced.

“Nice Wamuu, I was wondering when you would finally propose.” Esidesi commented.

“I would like to offer you this ensure that your call to a proper fight is not a bluff. After all, I cannot simply allow you to run away and thus betray our deal.”

A look of worry began to grow on Joseph’s face.

“Guess where it goes, I’ll give you a hint, not on your finger.” Wamuu commented.

Wamuu then inserted the ring into Joseph’s chest and wrapped it around his heart.

Joseph gasped.

“As long as you swear to train your hardest and are not a coward, I will battle you in a month. My poison is very vigorous. If you try to run away, the contents of the ring will evaporate, and you will die in a month. I do not think even your non-human companion could remove that thing, so if he does try, you will also die.”

Esidesi then walked up to the terminator.

“Since my protégé has taken a liking to you I will choose you as my next opponent. However, since I believe that your are not human, you probably do not need to breathe, so that would mean—” Esidesi said as he walked over to Caesar.

Caesar gasped as Esidesi put a ring around Caesar’s windpipe.

“Just to make sure you will not try to run as well. I have stuck this ring into your other comrade. If you value human life, you will fight me. If not, I will see that you are also a coward and I will surely come for you then.” Esidesi commented.

“Would you like contribute Kars?” Esidesi asked.

Kars sat atop the stone ruins, looking down at the life below.

“I will decline. Immortality can often be boring at times, I see why you would do this, especially with the addition of these terminators. Finding a worthy opponent is a rare and mystifying task, but I would say that I am satisfied.” He said as he tuned to the vampire hybrid.

“We already have a lead on the Red Stone. Now, there is no time to waste, let’s go.” Kars said as he jumped into the air, accompanied by his comrades and their newest companion.

“Train long and hard and you will surely reclaim your honor!” Wamuu yelled as they flew away.

\---

The man first became ecstatic as Wamuu managed to corner the three of them. However, when Joseph would suggest another round, which he knew would happen. He almost felt inclined to stop him, but then he realized something. He was so far removed from an entertaining battle for so long he almost forgot what it meant to battle. What he just witnessed gave him a better idea. He knew Joseph would defeat the pillar men, but this time, it would be different. He had no reason to panic, he learned that his actions did change the outcome of this day, and that most surely meant he could kill them. Still, proof that he could kill Joseph and his crew would not be good enough for Skynet, but that doesn’t mean he would not kill them. He will kill them. It was just a matter of time.

Why make this a boring ambush when he could have an entertaining battle that he knows he would surely win?


End file.
